


A Song of War and Power

by Ice_Queen784



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Civil War, F/M, I did Coulson dirty too and for that I sincerely apologize, Inspired by Game of Thrones, Kings & Queens, Not Steve Friendly, Peter Parker is Tony Stark's Biological Child, Phil Coulson is Skye's Father, Slow To Update, War, but he’ll get better character development I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 60,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22258483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ice_Queen784/pseuds/Ice_Queen784
Summary: Since the end of the Hydra Uprising ten years ago, the Four Kingdoms of Xandar have lived in relative peace, aside from a few minor skirmishes. But when King Nick dies suddenly without an heir, at the same time that Hydra resurfaces, the country will be plunged into the bloodiest civil war the people have ever seen.
Relationships: Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie/Yo Yo Rodriguez, Clint Barton/Laura Barton, Frigga | Freyja/Odin (Marvel), James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse, Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons, Nick Fury/Maria Hill, Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Phil Coulson/Melinda May, Scott Lang/Hope Van Dyne, Skye | Daisy Johnson/Grant Ward
Comments: 15
Kudos: 41





	1. World Map

**Author's Note:**

> I spent a lot of time world-building before I even started to write this. Here's a map of the world.

This is supposed to be a map of the Four Kingdoms of Xandar and its surrounding countries. If it's not showing up, I apologize. 


	2. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's quite a bit of exposition in this chapter, but this was the best way I could think of to introduce the world this takes place in.

Morgan sat at a table in the garden waiting to start her lessons. It wasn’t much of a garden, considering that the Iron Tower was in the desert city of Malibu. The garden was made up of mostly dry grasses and sharp plants, only a few of which flowered. But it was a pretty place to study anyway. 

She heard Maester Happy walking towards the table before she saw him. She could recognize anyone in this castle by their footsteps. She was already very intelligent and observant, even if she was only five years old. Father said she might even be smarter than her older brother Peter had been at her age. But Father was the smartest man in all the Four Kingdoms of Xandar, and Mother was smart too. So of course their children would be smart. 

Maester Happy sat down beside her and smiled. He was very smart too, and she had heard he was a talented fighter as well. He could have been a Knight of the Iron Lands, but instead, he had chosen to travel to Marvel to become a Maester. Now, he was back in the Iron Lands, working for House Stark. 

“How are you this morning, Lady Morgan?” He asked.

“I’m bored.” She replied. “I’ve been waiting for you for several minutes now.”

“I apologize, your brother’s lesson ran a little long today. He’s working on some more advanced mathematics and science, and he wanted my help.” He explained. “Should we begin your lessons?”

“Yes.” She agreed happily. She had only started taking lessons with the Maester recently, and she was absorbing all of the new information eagerly. She had quickly discovered that she loved learning, especially about science, math, and geography. 

“Good. Let’s start with reviewing what we know about Xandar.” He began. “How many kingdoms are there?”

“Four. Asgard, The Shield, The Iron Lands, and America.” Morgan answered. 

“Very good. And which kingdom do we live in?”

“The Iron Lands.” She replied. “This is the southern kingdom of Xandar. It makes up the northernmost part of the continent Vormir. It’s ruled by my house, House Stark. My father is Tony Stark, Lord of Malibu and Warden of the Iron Lands. Malibu is the capital of the Iron Lands.”

“Excellent. And what are your house sigil and words?”

“Our sigil is the phoenix. Our words are Feared and Respected.” 

“And what is the native language of the Iron Lands?” He asked next.

“Pazìlish.” She answered. “But I don’t know it yet.”

“We’ll start those lessons soon. It’s very important for you to know Pazìlish. Many people in the more remote villages don’t know the Common Tongue.” the maester explained. “Now, what are the minor houses of the Iron Lands?”

“House Strange in Kathmandu, on the northern coast. Their sigil is the cheruf. Their words are Faith, Truth, Knowledge. Next is House Rhodes, in Mojave, on the west coast. Their sigil is the hellhound, and their words are We are War Machines. Then there’s House Potts in Maveth, on the east coast. This is the house that my mother is from. Their sigil is the dragon and their words are I am Invincible.”

“Very good.” He smiled. “You have a an excellent memory. Now, tell me about America.”

“America is the western kingdom of Xandar, located in the eastern part of the continent Morag. The native language is Skwuthi. It’s capital is Washington, and it’s ruled by House Rogers. Their sigil is a star, and their words are Whatever it Takes.”

“And the minor houses?”

“House Wilson is in Chicago, the western city.” She answered. “Their sigil is the falcon. Their words are We are Soldiers. House Barnes is in York, the northern city. Their sigil is the wolf, and their words are Til the End of the Line. Then there’s House Carter, in Britannia, the eastern city. Their sigil is the lion and their words are I Know My Value.”

“What about Asgard?”

“Asgard is the northern kingdom. It’s located in the southernmost part of the continent of Yggdrasil. The native language is Norse. It’s ruled by House Borson in the city of Asgard. Their sigil is a tree, and their words are Always Prepared for War.”  
  


“And what makes Asgard unique?”

“There are no minor houses, and the name of their great house changes with every generation.” 

“Very good. Now finally, tell me about The Shield?”

“The Shield is the eastern kingdom. It’s a group of islands west of the continent of Sakaar. The native language is…,” Morgan trailed off, unsure for once. “Really hard to say.

“Nawzújian.” He reminded her. 

“Right. Nawzújian.” She continued. “The Shield is technically ruled by House Fury in Triskellion, on the center island of Hala, But they’re rarely there to run the kingdom, because Nick Fury is king, and has no living relatives in The Shield’s capital.”

“You really are a smart child.” He remarked. “And who are the minor houses?”

“There’s House Coulson in Zephyr, on the southeastern island of Tahiti. Their sigil is the eagle, and their words are Willing to Sacrifice. Then there’s House Romanoff in The Red City, on the southwest island, The Widow Lands. Their sigil is the spider, and their words are Appearances are Deceptive. Finally, there’s House Barton in Kitsen, in the Arrow Islands, the northern islands of The Shield. Their sigil is the hawk. Their words are We Never Miss.”

“Excellent.” He smiled. “And finally, what is the capital of the Four Kingdoms of Xandar?”

“Marvel.” Morgan answered. “It’s an island city in the center of the Four Kingdoms, surrounded by the Avengers Sea.”

“And who rules Marvel?”

“King Nicholas of House Fury.” She repeated. “Alongside his Queen, Maria.”

“And what is their sigil?”

“The flerken.”

“And their words?”

“Both Eyes Open.” 

“Who will be king after Nick?” He asked. She smiled, knowing this was a trick question.

“No one knows. He and Maria have never been able to have a child.” 

“Morgan, it’s time to come inside.” She heard her father call her from across the garden. “It’s getting too hot to be out here.”

“But I like it out here.” She whined. “I like learning in the garden.”

“I know. But your mother thinks you’ll get heat sick if you stay outside much longer.” He explained. Morgan laughed to herself. Her father might be the Lord of Malibu, but everyone knew it was really Lady Pepper who was in charge. “Now come on, don’t argue with me. You can continue your lessons inside.”

“Listen to Lord Stark.” Maester Happy told her.

Morgan nodded and followed him inside the Iron Tower. 

*****

Fury walked into the Small Council meeting. He hated these. He hated the Small Council. They were smart people, and sometimes he did value their advice, but usually he didn’t. The positions on the Small Council were appointed by the King, but there were rules and traditions about making the appointments. It was required for there to be at least one representative from each of the Four Kingdoms on the Small Council. However, to avoid overrepresentation from one kingdom over the others, the remaining positions, with the exception of the Hand to the King, were to be filled by people from Marvel, the capital. And there were qualifications and experience required for each position. Traditionally, everyone on the Small Council was a man of noble birth, or at least from the upper classes, but this was not a requirement. He had made the best appointments possible, but not all of these had turned out to be the best decisions. 

There were seven members of the Small Council: Lord Steve Rogers, the Hand of the King, Lord Bruce Banner, Representative of America and Master of War, Lady Bobbi Hunter, Representative of The Shield and Master of Whispers, Lord Heimdall, Representative of Asgard and Master of Laws, Lord Edwin Jarvis, Representative of The Iron Lands and Master of Coin, Lady Carol Danvers, Lord Commander of the King’s Guard, and Maester Daniel Whitehall, Grand Maester of Marvel. 

The members of the Council stood up as he entered the room, and they didn’t sit down until he did. He hated their displays of false humility and respect. Fury was well aware that when he died at least half of these people would be scrambling to take his job before his body was even buried. 

“Your Grace, we have an urgent matter to deal with today.” Lord Rogers told him. “There has been an attack on your family’s home city of Triskelion. A small group of rebels attempted to lay siege on The Hub. They were defeated, but not without significant damage and some loss of life.” 

Fury sighed. The Hub was his family’s ancestral home, where they ruled the city of Triskelion, and the whole Kingdom of The Shield. Except that since his younger brother Neil had died unexpectedly without any heirs, no Fury had been there to rule. As the last member of House Fury, he was now technically Lord of Triskelion and Warden of The Shield. But he was normally too busy being King Nicholas Fury, Second of His Name, King of the Xandarians, Lord of the Four Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm to rule his ancestral home as well, leaving Triskelion, and The Shield as a whole, in a state of chaos. 

“We have been discussing what should be done about this.” Lord Banner informed him. “It’s been decided that we should send troops to put down any rebels remaining.”

“So you took the liberty of deciding what the King should do without consulting the presence of the King?” He questioned. “What in the names of the gods made you decide you had the right to do that?”

“Your Grace, we as the Small Council were simply trying to make the decision that would be best for the realm, especially for the safety of the people of The Shield.” Lady Hunter defended. 

“I recognize that ‘you as the Small Council’ made a decision, but given that it’s a stupid ass decision, I’m going to ignore it.” Fury retorted. “It would be a pointless waste of men and resources to send more troops to Triskelion. It would make for nothing but a false, empty show of power. The people of The Shield are more than aware that there is no real ruler there. And because of the Rules of Succession, I can’t appoint one. Getting the military involved will only make the rebels angrier. Besides, we have no idea who these people are or where they ran off to after the attack. We can’t have soldiers barging into the homes of innocent civilians searching for people we may never find.” 

“There are rumors that the rebels were part of the Cult of Hydra.” Lord Heimdall pointed out. 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” He replied. “Hydra has been gone for a decade. None of the members of Hydra are even still alive to lead them. We wiped them out.There have always been rumors of Hydra reappearing, but those have always remained just that. For now, if the local authorities in Triskelion have the situation under control, we are not going to send in extra troops. We can’t make rash decisions that might put people in more danger than they’re already in.”

“There’s another matter we need to discuss, Your Grace.” Lord Rogers told him. “It’s about your own succession. You and Queen Maria still have not produced any heirs. It may be time to start making plans in case you never do.”

“Maria is still plenty young enough to have children, and I’m not planning on dying anytime soon.”

“No King plans on dying early.” Lady Danvers replied. “But sometimes it happens. We need to know who will succeed you if gods forbid something happens.”

Lady Danvers was the only member of the Small Council he actually liked, or even completely trusted. It had been a controversial move to appoint her as Commander of the King’s Guard. No woman had ever held that position before. But it was the only appointment that in hindsight he knew for sure was the right decision. She was a smart, strong woman. She was like a daughter to him. And she had a orange pet flerken named Goose, that perfectly matched the sigil of House Fury that stood out against their black banners. He loved Goose almost as much as he loved Carol, and the animal had made him even more convinced she was meant to be part of his family. 

“I understand your concern, but we have more pressing matters to deal with than hypothetical plans for the future.” He told them. “Maria and I are still trying to have an heir. Give us a few more years. In the meantime, I’ll think about who I want to succeed me if we don’t have a child.”

Truthfully, he’d thought about it a lot. And he had always come to the same decision. If he passed without an heir, he would want Lady Danvers to succeed him. Carol would make a wonderful queen. However, he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t want it even if he offered it to her. And besides, the people likely wouldn’t accept her as their queen. She was a powerful sorceress, far more powerful than any other sorcerer in the realm. The people wouldn’t want to be ruled by someone they deemed a witch. 

So he had decided that if she didn’t want it, he would appoint Phil Coulson, Lord of Zephyr, as his successor. He wasn’t sure that Lord Coulson would want the job either, but he knew that he would at least accept the offer, even if only for the sake of duty. He would make a good king. And his wife Melinda would make a good queen. So would their daughter Daisy, if the realm would accept her. 

But he didn’t want to tell the Small Council this yet. He had many years ahead of him to think it over. And he was still determined to have a real heir. He was determined that House Fury would not die with him. The realm needed a King to have both eyes open. 


	3. I Know My Value

Peggy stood in the yard of Brooklyn Castle, shooting arrows at a target. She hit almost every single one in the bullseye. She was good. Not as good as the legendary Lord Barton in the Arrow Islands, but good. And the bow and arrow wasn’t even her best weapon. She actually preferred swords, or even hand to hand combat. She’d disarmed some of the most experienced knights in the Kingdom of America, and had knocked men twice her size on their asses. 

And yet here she was, stuck at home while her husband was the famous warrior, currently serving as Hand of the King in Marvel. It wasn’t that Steve didn’t deserve it, because he did. But she had done just as much to defeat Red Skull and the Hydra Uprising as he had. It wasn’t fair that she should be stuck running a castle that wasn’t even ancestrally hers while the husband she didn’t really love got all the glory. 

She was the Lady of Washington, running the ancestral home and city of House Rogers. This actually made her the true Warden of America, but no one recognized her position as such. Steve was still called the Lord of Washington and the Warden of America, even though he was never there and she did all the work. 

Peggy was from House Carter, in the city of Britannia, on the east coast of America. Her father had married her off eight years ago to secure their favor with House Rogers and ensure they received a higher standing than the other minor houses. She had wanted to stay in Britannia and become a knight. Everyone knew how bravely she had fought during the war. But her father told her it was her duty to marry a Lord and give him heirs. So two years after she had first met Steve Rogers during the Uprising, they were married. Her father had died two years ago, and her brother Michael was the Lord of Britannia now. 

“Lady Margaret,” she heard Ser Chester Phillips call her name behind her. He was the Commander of the Knights of America, and also served as one of her advisors. “Your husband is here to see you. He has called a meeting on some recent developments in the realm.”

Peggy set her bow down and followed him inside the castle. Steve sat at the head of his council table. The room had large blue banners, decorated with the sigil of House Rogers, a red, white, and blue shield with a white star in the center. The shield Steve carried into battle matched the shield of his banners. She and Ser Chester sat down on either side of him. Maester Abraham Erksine sat next to Ser Chester. 

“I can’t stay here long, as I am Hand to the King.” He began. “I’ll be leaving for Marvel again tomorrow. But I came here because I have information too sensitive and urgent to be delivered by a raven.”

“What in the name of the gods are you talking about?” Peggy questioned him. 

“I have serious concerns about King Nicholas’s abilities as a leader.” She rolled her eyes, but let him continue. “There was an attack on his home city of Triskelion recently, and some say Hydra was behind it. And he refuses to take it seriously. He refuses to take action, despite the Small Council’s urging to send in more troops.”

“You don’t think that the King knows better how to handle issues in his homeland than you?” She argued. She knew he hated when she talked back to him, but she didn’t care. “The Shield is a turbulent area, especially on Hala. If he wants to wait before potentially aggravating a situation unnecessarily, he’s probably right.”

He ignored her. 

“He’s ignoring a dangerous situation.” He continued. “And he’s still refusing to name an heir in case he dies without a child.”

“He and Queen Maria still have years ahead of them to have a child.”

“We don’t know that.”

Peggy exchanged a look with Ser Chester and Maester Abraham. That was a strange thing to say. 

Later that night, Steve came to her in her room. Technically, it was their room, but since he had been appointed Hand not long after they married, it had started to feel like just hers. She had even hung her the banner of House Carter on the wall, a red lion on a white background. Steve had been pissed when she first hung it up, but he had never dared make her take it down. 

“You know, we still don’t have an heir either.” He told her, semi-accusingly. 

“That isn’t for a lack of trying on my end.” Peggy retorted. “You’re never here to sire one.”

“I’m here now.”

“I’m not in the mood.”

“I don’t think that matters anymore.” He replied. “We’ve been married for eight years, and you still haven’t given me an heir. People are starting to wonder if you’re infertile.”

“Maybe the problem isn’t with me.” She was tired of people assuming this was her fault. “Maybe you’re the one to blame.”

“We still need to try regardless. I’m only going to be here tonight, then I have to go back to the capital.”

Peggy sighed and started to undress, knowing she wasn’t getting out of this. He crossed the room and kissed her, while undressing himself. When he finally pushed her down on the bed and fucked her, she closed her eyes and pretended to enjoy it.

The whole time, she repeated the words of her house to herself in her head. Not the words of House Rogers, but the words of House Carter. She said them to herself everyday. They ran through her thoughts constantly, like a mantra. She could say them forwards and backwards. She could say them in the Common Tongue and the native language of Skwuthi. And as long as she knew them, as long as she said them, she would never forget herself. 

Sna yäth anksüm sklǔ. I know my value. 

*****

Jemma stood in the corner of her lab, mixing together potions for her research. Her lab was like her own personal sanctuary in the Playground, the castle her family lived in. It was the one place she felt she truly belonged. She was an alchemist, one of the best in all of Xandar. Perhaps, if she had been born a man, she could have gone to Marvel to train as a maester. But they would never accept a woman in their ranks. So she was stuck here, living amongst a family she could never truly be apart of.

Her father was Phil Coulson, Lord of Zephyr, on the island of Tahiti in The Shield. But her mother was not his wife, Lady Melinda Coulson. In fact, she didn’t know who her mother was. Her father wouldn’t tell her. It probably didn’t matter anyway. All that mattered in this world was that her parents weren’t married. That made her a bastard. She wasn’t Jemma Coulson, like she would be if she were a trueborn daughter. Instead, she was Jemma Rain, the surname given to bastards born in The Shield. 

Eighteen years had passed since her birth, but Father still seemed to resent her for existing, even though her existence was his fault, not hers. He had always seen her as a threat to Daisy, his trueborn daughter, as Jemma was a year older. It was a foolish fear. She was never going to challenge Daisy’s claim as his heir. Sure, part of her wanted to be the Lady of Zephyr someday, but she loved her younger sister too much to try and take that from her. 

“Jemma,” Lady Melinda called her name outside the door. “Come down for lunch.” 

She set down her bottles and opened the door. Lady Melinda stood on the other side, smiling. Jemma smiled back and followed her down the stairs. 

It was strange. Father refused to treat her like his daughter, even though she was. But Lady Melinda treated her like her daughter, even though she wasn’t. Jemma was grateful that she had at least one parent treat her kindly growing up, even if that parent wasn’t actually hers. 

Jemma took her seat across from Daisy at the table. Father barely acknowledged her as she sat down. Instead, he turned to Daisy. 

“Have you had any more luck finding suitors?” He asked her. 

Marriage customs in The Shield were different than those among the great houses in other kingdoms. Here, they weren’t married off to children of other houses to forge alliances. Instead, children got to decide for themselves who they married when they came of age. They could even marry a peasant if they chose. Lady Melinda had been a peasant girl when Father met her while visiting her village. He remained in contact with her and fell in love. And he was allowed to marry her, even though she wasn’t from a noble family. 

Jemma had already found the man she was going to marry. His name was Leopold Fitz. He was a peasant boy from Zephyr, and a brilliant inventor. It irritated Father to no end that she had been engaged before Daisy. 

“I haven’t.” Daisy told him, annoyed. He asked her a lot. “No one seems to want to marry a witch.”

Daisy was a sorceress, one of the most powerful in Xandar. She had powers to cause earthquakes. She could break apart weapons and bring down buildings if she wanted to. While this made her a formidable fighter, it didn’t seem to make her an eligible bachelorette. 

“If Jemma found someone to marry so can you.” He replied. “She’s more of a witch than you are.”

“I would have thought you would have stopped calling alchemy witchcraft after I used it to bring you back from the dead, but I was very wrong.” Jemma retorted. 

His heart had been cut in two during a battle four years ago, and not for the first time, she found herself wishing she hadn’t resurrected him. She honestly wasn’t sure why she had. She had grown up thinking that she would be better off if he died, but when she saw him lying motionless on that table, and heard the way Daisy and Lady Melinda cried, she knew she had to bring him back. Not many alchemists could bring someone back from the dead, but luckily for them, the knowledge and power she possessed was far beyond that of most alchemists. 

Since then, many other houses in Xandar had treated House Coulson with suspicion, and had labeled her and Daisy witches for their respective abilities. But this hadn’t made her relationship with her father any better. 

“If resurrecting someone isn’t witchcraft, then what is?” He argued. “You may have used your powers for good then, but you’re reckless, dangerous, ambituous, and impulsive. Someday, you’ll use your knowledge to bring harm to this family and to the entire realm.”

“You claim you hate me because you I’m a threat to this family. But we both know that’s not true.” She stood up. “You hate me because I represent your weaknesses. You’re reckless, dangerous, ambitious, and impulsive. I got this from you. Your weaknesses are why I exist in the first place. I represent your shame and dishonor for fathering a bastard. You look at me and see everything you hate about yourself. I’m sick and tired of you acting like everything is my fault when you would be dead if it weren’t for me. Fuck you.” 

Jemma stormed out of the room. As she walked up the stairs, she saw the banner of House Coulson hanging in the landing. A silver eagle on a light blue background. Most noble men and women felt a sense of pride and belonging when they saw their sigils. But the banner only served to remind Jemma that she didn’t belong here. Her father was the symbol of Zephyr and Tahiti. The symbol of House Coulson. He was the eagle, flying free and honorable. She represented a stain on that honor. An abuse of that freedom. He would never accept her as his daughter, no matter how many times she brought him back from the dead.

She picked up her pace and ran back up to her lab, locking the door behind her. She hated this. She hated him. She was just as much of a Coulson as he was. Afterall, she had sacrificed her own well being for the well being of Zephyr when she saved him. She would be better off now if he had died, but she brought him back anyway. Because she was a Coulson. It was in their words. Words she’d had memorized in Nawzújian and the Common Tongue since she’d learned to speak. Words she’d lived by as long as she could remember. Beera ʄo yætî. Willing to sacrifice. 

***** 

Loki walked through the snowy forests north of the city of Asgard. It was frigid, but he didn’t mind. The Asgardians were a strong people used to freezing temperatures almost year round. But he seemed to withstand the cold even better than most. He was never sure why, he knew he belonged in the icy tundras north of comforts of the city. It was in his name. 

He wasn’t like the rest of his family. He was a Snow. A bastard. His older brother Thor was Odinson, and their older sister Hela was Odinsdottir, but he didn’t get the name. Odin was his father, but Odin’s wife Frigga wasn’t his mother. Someday, when Odin died, Thor would become Lord and Warden of Asgard, and their house would become Odinson, instead of Borson. And he knew Hela would challenge Thor’s claim because she’s older and she had always felt entitled to become Lady of Asgard. If she won, their house would become Odinsdottir. But Loki could not challenge his siblings for the throne.

He wanted to. He wanted nothing more than to be the Lord of Asgard and have those in the courts who had sneered at him and looked down on his for being a bastard have to kneel to him. But no one would back him. People might back Hela. There were some who thought the rules of male primogeniture were unfair, and that lands and titles should pass to the eldest regardless of gender. But no one would support a bastard with no claim. If he wanted power, he would have to find his own way to get it. 

Loki had always found a way to get what he wanted. The Asgardians were powerful people, and he was no different. People called him the Prince of Mischief. He was a trickster. He possessed the Asgardian qualities of superhuman strength, speed, and longevity. But thanks to Frigga, he had other powers as well. She thought of him as her own son, and had taught him traditional Asgardian sorcery. He could create illusions and change his form. He could get inside people’s minds, read them and control them. He could mask his presence from enemies or make them believe he was there when he wasn’t. He had no doubt he would find a way to gain power when he wanted to, whether he wanted to make himself Lord of Asgard or King of Xandar. He didn’t need an army to back him. 

But for now, it was time to begin the long walk back home. It was getting dark, and Frigga would start to worry about him. He was eighteen, but she still fretted over him like a child. He allowed it. It was nice to know that someone cared about him. It was time to return to the conformity and nobility of the Asgardian Palace. 

Frigga was waiting up for him when he returned, as he had expected. She sat in a grand sitting room. The castle was furnished with gold and all manner of expensive crystals, fabrics, and metals. On the walls hung the banner of House Borson, a shining gold tree on a snow white background. 

“How was your walk, Loki?” She asked sweetly.

“Lovely as usual.” He replied with a smile, sitting down on the couch beside her. “Where are the others?”

“Odin is upstairs, making battle plans with Thor and Hela.” She explained. “He fears our truce with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim may be running out. He isn’t going to attack them, but he wants to have a defense plan ready in case they attack. You know your Father.”

“Ávalt búinn fyrir strīth.” He said the Norse words of their house with a smile. 

Always prepared for war. He may have been an outcast in House Borson, but the words applied to him just the same. He was prepared for war, whenever it should come. 

“And I see we have been left out as usual.” He remarked.

“Did you really expect anything different?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Of course not.” Loki replied. “But it would be nice to be invited for once. One of us alone is twice as smart as all three of them put together. They see war as a show of brute strength. But it isn’t. It’s a game of strategy. It isn’t necessarily about how many warriors you have or how strong they are carrying their Berserker staffs. It’s about how you fight. You have to know your enemy, know their weaknesses and use them to your advantage. Because sending a hundred thousand warriors in to level an enemy doesn’t always work. Sometimes, the enemy is even stronger than you. Sometimes, the enemy has even larger numbers than you. If you’re truly going to be prepared for war, you need to be prepared for every possibility. It isn’t just a fight. It’s a game. And in order to be truly successful, you have to know how to play it.”

“I know that.” She smiled proudly. “But that’s not how Odin sees it, and luckily for him, that’s not how the Frost Giants see it either.”

“But the enemy won’t always be the Frost Giants.” He pointed out. “We have to be prepared for more than just them.”

“We do.” She agreed. “Which is why Odin is lucky we’re prepared for that war, even if he isn’t. They may be incredibly strong, but we’re incredibly smart. And that can be just as dangerous if you know how to use that to your advantage.”

“Magic doesn’t hurt either.

Frigga laughed.

“So Odin should consider himself double lucky to have us on his side.” She replied. 

“I think I’m going to head up to my room. Read a book. We have a whole library here, and only two of us ever use it.”

“Seems a waste, doesn’t it? Try to encourage your siblings to pick up a book once in a while. Maybe you’ll have more luck with them than I’ve had with your father.”

“I’ll try.” He smiled. “Goodnight, Frigga.”

“Goodnight, Loki.”

*****

Pepper felt Tony shake her awake.

“Pep, wake up.” He told her. “You’re burning again.”

She sat up, breathing fast. 

“Sorry. I don’t know why I’ve been doing this lately. I haven’t had this much trouble controlling my powers since I got them.” 

Pepper had been kidnapped by a man named Aldrich Killian during the Hydra Uprising. He had tied her up in a dungeon and performed torturous experiments on her for days. He was attempting to mock her family, House Potts. He said he was going to turn her into a dragon, like her house’s sigil. He was expecting her to die. But he had clearly forgotten her house’s words. I am invincible. 

And he had truly made her invincible. He had made her the dragon of her house’s sigil. And even though she was part of House Stark by marriage now, many people still saw her as the symbol of House Potts. 

Through Killian’s torture, Pepper gained enhanced strength and agility, regenative healing, and exothermic manipulation. Once she had escaped captivity, she joined the fighting against Hydra. She got her arm cut off during the fighting, but it grew back within minutes. She could melt soldier’s swords with her touch. She could even breathe fire. 

But once in a while, she had nightmares about Killian. About being tied up while injected her with a poison that felt like fire burning through her body. She had them almost every night when she first escaped. But over the years, they had become fewer and farther between. 

But recently, they’d come back. She’d wake up with her skin fiery orange and scorching hot, burning the sheets and sometimes Tony. She was having them every few nights now. She wasn’t sure why, but she had a feeling it was a sign, possibly of Hydra returning. 

Pepper got out of bed and helped Tony strip the sheets. They called in a servant to bring fresh ones. Once they changed clothes, they headed down to the yard to train. 

Tony wore a heavy coat of iron armor, painted red with a gold phoenix painted on the breastplate to look like the banner of House Stark. Pepper wore light leather armor, in blue and gold, with a gold dragon on the front to look like the banner of House Potts. Because even though she was part of House Stark now, she needed to remind her opponents that she was the dragon. 

Tony was a skilled swordsman, quick enough to avoid her melting touch. But she was far more agile, and she easily avoided his swings. She had another advantage as well. She used her powers to heat her sword, not to the point of melting, but to the point where being stabbed with it would be excruciating. Not that she would ever stab Tony with it. She loved him too much to intentionally hurt him. 

Their training was interrupted by their son Peter jumping down from a balcony into the yard. Peter had powers he had gained after being bitten by a spider cursed by an evil sorcerer. Pepper and Tony had always suspected it was an assassination attempt and that Hydra was behind it, but if the intent had been to kill their son and heir, it had failed. Peter had ended up with superhuman strength, agility, speed, and reflexes. He could climb up walls and across ceilings. And he had an early warning sense he called his spider sense. 

“Peter, how many times do I have to tell you not to jump into the yard when people are fighting?” Tony asked him. “I don’t think you want to get hit with your mother’s burning sword.”

“I’ve never run into anyone.” Peter argued. He was seventeen, and always seemed to be arguing with Tony. But she knew Tony still adored his son. “Except for that one time I landed on you, but that wasn’t my fault. You moved under the balcony.”

Tony sighed. 

“Just be careful.” He told him. “I’d hate for something to happen to you.”

“I know.” Peter replied. “But I’ll be fine. I’m a Stark. I’m invincible.”

“No, she’s invincible.” He gestured to Pepper. “We’re just feared and respected. We’re strong, but we’re not invincible.” 

Peter sighed, dejectedly. 

“I’ll be more careful.” He promised, starting to walk away. 

“I love you.” Tony called after him. 

“I love you too.” Peter called back, not turning around. 

“Tony, maybe it’s time Peter starts training with us more often.” Pepper suggested. “He’s strong, and he’s a good fighter. He’s smart too. He could be a good asset for us.”

“He’s our son, Pep, not a weapon.” He retorted.

“I didn’t say he was a weapon.” She argued. 

“But that’s how you talk about him. You’re his mother, you should care more about his well-being than that.”

“Don’t you dare try to say that I don’t care about him. I love him and I care about him just as much as you. But there’s a war coming. I can feel it. We all can. And we need to be prepared.”

“He’s just a kid.”

“He won’t be a kid forever, Tony.” 

That afternoon, Pepper and Tony ate lunch outside with Peter and Morgan. The kids were both chattering excitedly about what they were learning from Maester Happy. But suddenly, Peter stopped.

“Everyone be quiet.” He told them. “Someone’s coming.”

Pepper didn’t even have time to wonder what he was talking about before a volley of arrows came raining down on them. Thankfully, only one hit. It hit Pepper in the abdomen, but she just took it out and got up to fight. Her body would heal that would before their attackers even reached them. 

“Take Morgan inside.” Tony ordered Peter. “Now!”

Peter took Morgan’s hand and ran inside the tower with her. 

Pepper and Tony weren’t wearing armor. They barely had time to find weapons before they saw their enemies approach them. There were a dozen of them, all in masks. Before they reached them, they turned to each other and repeated the Pazìlish words they always said before battle. 

“Yaw̃ ekpem sej nawchrawr mu sej chavwù.”  _ We are the phoenix and the dragon.  _ “Onũn yaw̃ ekpem iwa mu moshima mu yaw̃ ekpem gawthnènũw.”  _ Together we are feared and respected, and we are invincible.  _ “Taw̃ mashkip gbĩl.”  _ I love you.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	4. Two More Grow Back

Thor rushed out of the Asgardian Palace with his hammer, Mjølnir in hand. He was the only one who could wield it. He was the only one worthy of wielding it. He was the eldest son of Odin Borson and the future Lord of Asgard. He was nineteen now, a full grown man, but it still seemed like a lot of weight to carry on his shoulders. Especially at times like this.

There had been reports of a large explosion in the city, caused by Wildfire. Riots had broken out in the normally peaceful Asgardian streets. He was leading troops to quell the fighting, hopefully before too much loss of life. There was no count yet on how many had been killed in the explosion, but given the crowded area it happened in, he guessed thousands. 

When Thor and his troops reached the city square, it was total chaos. Smoke and flames were still rising from the blown up building, a Xandarian Sept where thousands of poor people sought food and shelter. People were fighting in large, bloody groups. Bodies lined the streets, and as he approached the Sept, he could see the remains of the people who had been inside. 

He and his troops broke up and the fighting and cleared the streets. He ordered uninjured civilians to help the wounded, to find them shelter and medicine. They cleared hundreds of people from the surrounding area before they moved on to the Sept. 

The Sept of Asgard was in total ruins. There would be nothing left of the building when the smoke cleared. He and his troops headed inside to search for survivors. But all they found were unidentifiable bodies. Most of them weren’t even intact. This wouldn’t be a job for his troops. There was no one alive in here to rescue.

Thor ordered his troops to clear the area and led them back to the Palace. When he walked in, he was greeted by Odin and Hela, as well as Lady Sif and Lady Valkyrie, the Commander of the Knights of Asgard and her second in command. They all turned to him when he entered the room, waiting to hear what he had to say.

“The Sept of Asgard is in complete ruins.” He reported sadly. “The riots were quelled before too much further damage could be done, but I’m afraid the loss of life is well into the thousands.”

“Did you find any survivors of the explosion?” Lady Sif asked.

“No.” He replied. “I didn’t even find any bodies that would be recognizable. Just limbs and bones with the flesh melted off of them.”

He was shaken from what he had seen. And it took a lot to shake him. He had seen war. He had grown up in it. But seeing thousands of dead civilians piled up in the streets and buried in the wreckage was a kind of carnage he had never seen before. 

“I don’t understand who could have done something like this.” Lady Valkyrie remarked. “This is a kind of evil we haven’t seen since the days of Hydra. Who would blow up a place of worship with thousands of innocent women and children inside? Poor families who had come to find food and shelter. This is an act of pure evil.”

“It is indeed.” Odin agreed. “Which is why we must find out who did this and bring them to justice. A crime like this cannot go unpunished.” 

Thor noticed that Hela remained in solemn silence the night the whole conversation. She was never the most talkative, but also wasn’t one to bite her tongue when she had something to say. And this was the kind of thing she would normally have something to say about. But he didn’t want to force her. Her silence likely meant nothing. This was a particularly upsetting event. It was hard for everyone to handle. It was hard for everyone to speak about. 

Suddenly, a messenger walked through the Palace doors. He bowed to Odin when he approached him.

“My lord,” the young man greeted him. “A raven has come for you.”

He handed him a letter. It was sealed, but as far as Thor could tell, there was no sigil on it. Just a black blob keeping the paper sealed. 

“From where?” Odin asked. 

“I don’t know, my lord.”

“Thank you.” 

The messenger bowed and walked out.

Odin unsealed the scroll and read it in silence. 

“Gods help us.” He muttered when he finished it. He handed it to Thor. 

Thor read it, shock and fear growing inside him as he did. It made sense now. There was only one group of people he could think of that would be capable of such an evil act. And now, he had their letter in his hands. They were claiming responsibility. 

He handed it off to Hela, who handed it to Sif and Valkyrie. The room was in a stunned silence. No one seemed to know what to say. But there was a silent agreement in the room. They must be prepared for war. 

“You may have thought you cut every head off years ago.” The letter read. “But you were very wrong. You must have forgotten our words. Cut one head off, two more grow back. But we’re sure you’ll remember them soon. This is only the beginning. Hail Hydra.” 

*****

Tony drew his sword as their attackers came upon them. They were outnumbered five to one, and he knew this wouldn’t be an easy fight. But somehow, he knew they could win. He was the best swordsman in the Iron Lands, and Pepper was the incarnation of the dragon in her maiden house’s sigil. As long as they fought side by side, they could win any battle. 

They hadn’t had time to put on armor, which made them vulnerable to their enemies’ weapons, and their attackers immediately tried to take advantage of that. But Tony blocked their swings easily. He managed to stab one attacker and kill him almost immediately. The masked men wore armor, but it wasn’t thick, and would do little to protect them from his sword of Pazìlish steel. The sword was a family heirloom from the small village of Pazìli, in the southern Iron Lands. The village was the birthplace of the kingdom’s native language, and was also known for their steel, the strongest in the world. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the men stab Pepper in the side, but the sword melted from her glowing skin and her wound healed quickly. He stood stunned for a moment, and she took advantage of his surprise. She had slit his throat with a dagger before he even had the chance to move again. Tony knew she could possibly end this whole fight now, if she could summon enough power to breathe fire. But he didn’t want her to. He had only seen her do it twice, and both times it had left her passed out from exertion for days. 

But she didn’t try to breathe fire now. She didn’t need to. They were able to defeat all ten attackers without that. After the fight, they stood breathless and covered in blood. The bodies of the masked men lay lifeless around them, some of them missing limbs or heads. 

“What the hell was that?” Pepper asked him. “Where did they come from?”

“I have no idea.” Tony admitted. “But we’re safe. And that’s all that matters.”

He crossed the few yards between them to take her in his arms, and she crossed the few remaining inches between them to kiss him passionately. 

“We’re safe.” She repeated when they broke apart. 

“I love you.” He told her with a smile. 

“I love you too.” 

They had been married for seventeen years. It had been an arranged marriage, as most marriages between people of their station were. At first, it had seemed like a terrible match. Their personalities seemed to clash horribly and they drove each other insane. He was too chaotic and irrational for her. She was too uptight and fiery for him. But they quickly grew to love each other, and during the Hydra Uprising, they realized they could never live without each other. Their marriage wasn’t a perfect one, but it seemed that it had been a good match after all. 

Tony took Pepper’s hand and led her inside the Iron Tower. They found Peter and Morgan up in their chambers. They were sitting in Morgan’s room, on her bed. Peter was holding her while she cried. They were both obviously terrified. 

“Mama! Papa!” Morgan cried, running up to greet them when they walked in the room. She jumped up into Tony’s arms, and he felt his heart burst as he held her. 

“We’re alright, Morgan.” He comforted her. “Everybody is going to be alright.”

“What happened?” Peter asked, walking over to them. “Who attacked us?”

“We have no idea.” Pepper replied. “But they’re all dead now.” 

“You killed them? Morgan asked, horrified. 

“We had to, sweetheart.” Tony explained. “Or they would have killed us.”

“Are more bad men coming to kill us?”

“I don’t think so.” He replied. 

“But we’ll need to be careful.” Pepper told them. “We don’t know for sure if we’re safe. We need to stay inside until we’re sure the danger has passed. And we’ll need to have extra guards on duty tonight.”

Tony just nodded in agreement. He was technically the Lord of Malibu and Warden of the Iron Lands, but the decision-making and responsibilities that came with that usually fell to his wife, at least behind closed doors. The public couldn’t know that his wife was the one running things, nor could the lords of the other great houses. 

They spent the rest of the day in their chambers. They didn’t dare let either of their children out of their sight. Everyone was still on edge from the day’s events, and they didn’t know if the coast was clear yet or not. 

Later that evening, Maester Happy came up to their chambers. He had checked Tony and Pepper for wounds after the battle, but they were both unharmed. 

“A raven came for you, my lord.” He told Tony. He handed him a letter. The seal was black and had no sigil on it. 

“What the hell?” He muttered. 

Tony opened the letter. He felt his stomach drop as he read it. 

“You may have thought you cut every head off years ago.” The letter read. “But you were very wrong. You must have forgotten our words. Cut one head off, two more grow back. But we’re sure you’ll remember them soon. This is only the beginning. Hail Hydra.” 

He knew now who had attacked them, but he almost wished he didn’t. This was a nightmare scenario. The coast was most certainly not clear. His family was not safe, and he didn’t know when they would be again.

“Holy shit.” He handed the letter to Pepper. “Read that.”

She read it in silence. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with fear. He could tell that mentally, she was back with Aldrich Killian, tied up while the Hydra scientist tortured her and transformed her into something far beyond what any human was ever meant to be. 

“What are we going to do?” She asked.

“We’re going to fight.” He replied. “We’re going to fight them and we’re going to defeat them. We have no other choice.” 

*****

Phil stood outside Jemma’s bedroom door. She was still upset about their fight at lunch today. Melinda was in her room comforting her, as she often did after they fought. 

“Gowa kaa, Źuunggêd.” _It’s okay, Jemma._ Melinda comforted her in her native language of Nawzújian. Melinda was from the village of Nawzújia, in a remote part of Tahiti. The village was where the language of The Shield had originated, and many of the citizens there didn’t know the common language. Melinda hadn’t known much of it herself when he’d met her. She still often spoke the language to their daughters, and she liked to call them by the Nawzújian translations of their names, Źuunggêd and Fîja. 

“Gowa kaa no. Dhag ʄê rerwaf.” _It’s not okay. My father hates me._ “Daa owa ge pǔp ri f̀i go rerfet.” _And there’s nothing I can do to make him love me._

Her words were like a punch in the gut. Because he did love her. She was an incredible young woman. But he couldn’t get along with her. He couldn’t let himself love her. She had been right at the dinner table. He hated her because he looked at her and saw all his flaws. He was reminded of his mistakes. He was reminded that he had brought dishonor to his house, and had been unfaithful to the wife he loved more than words could describe. 

“Ve fii rujfet.” _He does love you._ Melinda told her. 

“Pǔp dooch mamavdaakaal raan chü, daa ve fûi shù tîsh rerniir rerfeti.” _I’m eighteen years old and he has never once told me he loves me._ Jemma reminded her. 

“Pǔp dooch f̀ǔmu, rew.” _I’m sorry, sweetheart._ “Pǔp rujfet.” _I love you._

“Pǔp rujfet uukta.” _I love you too._

If looks could kill, Phil would have dropped dead on the spot from the glare Melinda gave him when she walked out of Jemma’s room. 

“Would it kill you to be nice to the girl?” She asked him. “She’s your daughter. It isn’t her fault she was born, it’s not her fault she’s a bastard, and it’s not her fault you cheated on me.”

After all these years, his treatment of Jemma remained the one sore spot in their marriage. She had long ago forgiven his unfaithfulness, but she would never forgive him mistreating his daughter. She loved that girl like she was her own and she never understood why he didn’t. 

He had never told Melinda who Jemma’s mother was, although she had asked. He had never told anyone. That was a secret only he and her mother knew. 

Phil had met Jemma’s mother in a tavern on a diplomatic trip to America. He was only eighteen, but he had already been the Lord of Zephyr for sometime, as his father was killed when he was seven. He had also recently married Melinda, but she had stayed in Zephyr. He stayed in America for about three moons, in which time he got the young woman from the tavern pregnant. When she told him she was having his baby, they both decided it would be best if he took the child and raised them in The Shield. They also agreed that she should have the bastard name of Rain instead of Leaf, the name given to bastards born in America. So about nine moons after their first encounter, he traveled back to America and she gave him the baby girl. 

Phil had been nervous about taking Jemma back to Zephyr. He hadn’t told Melinda the real reason he was going back across the Avengers Sea, and she had recently found out she was pregnant as well. But Melinda had seemingly fallen in love with Jemma at first sight and had promised to raise her as her own. It turned out that Phil would be the one to have an issue with her presence. 

He knew deep down he had no right to hate her. He was the one who agreed to bring her back to be raised in The Shield. And after all, she had brought him back from the dead. He had been off leading his army against a small rebel insurgence on Hala when an attacker had come from behind and stuck a sword straight through his heart. He had bled out on the battlefield. 

When his body was brought back to Zephyr three days later, Melinda and Daisy had been devastated. According to them, Jemma had shed a few tears herself. But luckily for them, she was already one of the best alchemists in the Four Kingdoms, even at only fourteen years old. His memories of the ritual she performed were hazy, but he recalled it being excruciatingly painful. She had done her best to erase his memories of the resurrection, but eventually they came back. He still had nightmares where he was lying on that table, begging the girl to let him die, while tears of fear and distress streamed down her face. She refused to let him die.

“I’m sorry.” He told Melinda softly. 

“Why don’t you go in and talk to her?” She suggested. 

“I can’t.” He shook his head and walked away. 

Melinda followed him to their bedchamber. She was still angry with him, but she sat down next to him on their bed anyway. They sat in silence for a few moments before he leaned over and kissed her. 

Pǔp rujfet, Yârchaw.” _I love you, Melinda._ He whispered. 

“Pǔp rujfet, Warfir.” _I love you too, Phil._

He kissed her again, but this time they were interrupted by a knock on the door. 

“Come in.” He called. A servant girl walked in carrying two letters. 

“Ravens came for you, my lord.” She told him. 

“Thank you.” He replied taking the letters. The girl left. 

One letter was sealed with the orange flurken of House Fury, which could mean that it was sent by King Nicholas in Marvel, or that it was sent by his representatives in Triskelion. The other letter had a plain black seal that Phil had never seen before. 

He opened the first letter, which he quickly realized had been sent from Triskelion. 

“Lord Coulson, we regret to inform you that a market in Triskelion has been blown up with Wildfire.” The letter read. “The death toll is in the thousands, and the damage to buildings and properties in the area cannot even begin to be calculated yet. As of yet, we do not know who was behind this horrible attack. We know only that it was an act of pure evil. We ask that you send some troops and resources from Tahiti to help our people during this difficult time. From, Maester Sitwell, Triskelion.”

“That’s awful.” Melinda remarked. She had been reading the letter with him. “Those poor people.”

Phil opened the second letter. The first letter had been upsetting enough, but the second made his blood run cold with fear. 

“You may have thought you cut every head off years ago.” It read. “But you were very wrong. You must have forgotten our words. Cut one head off, two more grow back. But we’re sure you’ll remember them soon. This is only the beginning. Hail Hydra.” 

*****

Steve was eating lunch in the Hand’s Tower when he heard sudden screaming out in the yard. He set his fork down and ran down the stairs. 

The yard was chaos. There were people running and yelling in several languages. He pushed his way through the crowd to see what was going on. He wasn’t expecting it to be something good, but nothing could have prepared him for what he actually saw. 

King Nicholas was lying dead in the yard, his head severed and several feet away from the rest of his body. 

“What happened?” He asked Lady Danvers. 

“Several men in masks broke past the guards and attacked.” She explained, holding back tears. “One of them got to the king and cut his head off.”

“Who would do that?” He questioned. “Nick was beloved by all.”

“Apparently not.”

“Do we have any idea who was behind this attack?” 

“No.” She replied. “But this isn’t there have been several attacks today. Word has reached us of four more, one in the capital of each kingdom. The Sept of Asgard was destroyed by Wildfire, as was a market in Triskelion. There were also attacks on the Starks in Malibu, and on your wife, in Washington.”

“Gods, is she alright?” He asked, fear suddenly coursing through him. He had a complicated relationship with Peggy, and he knew she had never wanted to marry him. But he did love her and he couldn’t imagine his life without her. 

“She is alive and unharmed.” Lady Danvers assured him. “As are the Starks. But thousands have lost their lives in Asgard and Triskelion. And now the king is dead.”

“Whoever did this means to start a war.” 

“Perhaps the rumors were true. Perhaps Hydra really is starting another uprising.” 

“Perhaps. Or perhaps a new enemy has emerged.” 

Steve eventually went up to the King’s Tower with Lady Danvers. Queen Maria sat in shock in her bed chambers. Like Carol, she had tears in her eyes, but she was holding them back. The Furys were a stoic family, and Lady Danvers shared that quality, even if she was only a Fury in spirit, and not by blood. 

“Your Grace,” he greeted her solemnly.

“Lord Rogers,” she stood up to meet him. 

“I came to offer my condolences.” He told her. “Nick was a wonderful man and a great king. I am truly sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.” She nodded. 

Steve spent the rest of the day in meetings with the Small Council. They had somber discussions about how to respond to the attacks. Even Goose, Lady Danvers’ pet flerken seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation. They decided to send troops, rations, and gold to Asgard and Triskelion, to help clean up the cities and take care of those displaced and injured. 

During their meeting, a messenger came in. He carried a letter that he handed to Steve. 

“A raven came for you, my lord.”

“Thank you.” He nodded. The messenger left. 

The letter had a strange black seal on it, with no sigil. And when he opened it and read it, he found himself wishing he hadn’t thanked the messenger. 

“You may have thought you cut every head off years ago.” The letter read. “But you were very wrong. You must have forgotten our words. Cut one head off, two more grow back. But we’re sure you’ll remember them soon. This is only the beginning. Hail Hydra.” 

“Gods, the rumors were true.” He told them. “Hydra is back. Hydra was behind these attacks today. It sounds like they’re planning another uprising.”

“Then we must prepare for war.” Lord Banner replied. 

They spent over an hour making battle plans and deciding how best to defend the Four Kingdoms. But they eventually had to move on. They had another matter to decide as well. King Nick had died with no true blood sons or daughters. He had no heir, and he had died before he could appoint one. Traditionally, when Kings died without an heir, they named one of their deathbeds. But he had died so suddenly he hadn’t gotten that opportunity. So now, it was up to the Small Council to decide.

“I think he would have wanted Lady Danvers to be his successor.” Lady Bobbi said. “She was like a daughter to him.”

“I don’t want to be queen.” Lady Danvers replied. “I’m content with my position as Commander of the King’s Guard. And even if I did want it, the people wouldn’t support me. Even if they accepted the fact that I’m a woman, they would never accept a sorceress for their queen. People don’t want a ruler they fear, not to that extent.”

“You would make a good queen.” Lord Banner argued. 

“Perhaps.” She shrugged. “But that isn’t my destiny.”

“Then whose destiny is it?” Lord Heimdall asked.

“I don’t know.” Steve replied. “But until the Small Council has come to a decision, as the Hand, it is my duty to take the throne. Of course this is just a temporary measure. I’m not trying to make myself the new king. But someone needs to sit on the Infinity Throne until we find a new ruler. And as Hand, tradition decrees that it should be me. All in favor say ‘aye,’”

“Aye.” They all replied in unison. 

“Then this meeting is dismissed.” He decided. “We’ll meet again tomorrow.”

Steve headed up to his chambers in the Hand’s Tower. He took out some parchment and wrote letters for his bannermen, Sam Wilson in Chicago, James Barnes in York, and Michael Carter in Britannia. He also wrote a letter to his wife in Washington. He would be sending ravens to them tonight. He was calling all of them to Marvel immediately. Because no matter what the Small Council decided, he had no intention of giving up the Infinity Throne. He was the new King of the Four Kingdoms of Xandar. 

He always got what he wanted, one way or another. Because he was a Rogers, no matter what the cost. It was in their words. Hǔk el slenslufe. Whatever it takes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll have more soon, although not as soon as I had this chapter out. (I just had this chapter done before I started publishing the story) 
> 
> Also, if anyone knows of a good Old Norse translator, please let me know in the comments. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! :)


	5. Crisis of Succession

Daisy walked down the stairs to the great hall of Zephyr, with Jemma following behind her. Father was already sitting at the high table, with Mother beside him. They were all dressed in black mourning clothes. The king had died a week ago, and the Four Kingdoms were facing an uncertain future. Lord Rogers from America was acting as Regent until an heir was appointed, but no one knew yet who that would be. King Nick’s sudden death had created a seemingly unsolvable crisis of succession in Marvel. 

It had created a crisis closer to home too. With the last of the Furys dead, there was no one to rule Hala from Triskelion. There was no Warden of The Shield. Everyone knew the island was about to fall into even worse chaos than it had been in before. 

So Father had called Fury’s other bannermen to Zephyr. The Lords of The Shield we’re meeting to decide the kingdom’s fate. 

Daisy took her seat on the other side of Father. Jemma sat down beside her. At first, Father hadn’t wanted Jemma there. He said it would be dishonorable to seat a bastard at the high table with the rest of the family, but Mother had insisted on her inclusion. 

The doors to the great hall opened. The first lord had arrived. Although this lord was actually a lady. Lady Natasha Romanoff, Lady of The Red City, rode in behind two of her soldiers, who carried the banner of House Romanoff, a black widow spider on a red background. She rode a black horse, and wore an outfit of black leather with a red cape and a sword hanging by her side. She was a small woman who didn’t necessarily look like much of a fighter, but she was a fearsome warrior. She was the embodiment of House Romanoff’s words. Beed̀e dooche f̀ǔr. Appearances are deceiving. 

Lady Romanoff ruled over The Widow Lands, the southwestern island of The Shield. It was an area known for its thick rainforest, filled with poisonous plants and deadly animals. If you got lost in there, you were likely to be found dead, if you were ever found at all. She lived in a formidable castle called the Widow’s Bite, in the center of The Red City. 

When she reached the high table, Lady Romanoff dismounted her horse and took her seat across from Father. 

“Lady Romanoff.” He greeted her with a nod.

“Lord Coulson, Lady Melinda.” She turned her head to his daughters. “Daisy, Jemma, it’s nice to see you here.”

Daisy and Jemma both just smiled in reply. 

The doors opened again. This time, it was Lord Clint Barton riding in behind the banners of House Barton, a black hawk on a purple field. He was the Lord of Kitsen, and ruled over the Arrow Islands, the small islands in the northern part of The Shield. 

He wore all black as well, with a purple cape and hood. He wore his bow and quiver of arrows around him. The Bartons had been known as skilled archers for generations and Lord Barton was considered by many to be the greatest archer in the Four Kingdoms. His house words even referenced archery. Suut shu duurs. We never miss. 

Unlike Lady Romanoff, Lord Barton was married. His wife, Lady Laura Barton, had stayed in the Arrow Islands with their three children, Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel. But he had brought Wanda Maximoff with him. She was one of the most powerful sorceresses in the Four Kingdoms, and the Lord’s most trusted advisor. 

Lord Barton took his seat next to Lady Romanoff. Wanda sat down on his other side. 

“Lord Barton and I landed in the same port this morning.” Lady Romanoff told them. “So we had ample opportunity to discuss the situation. And we both agreed that you should ride for Hala and take Triskelion.”

“You mean you want me to be the Warden of The Shield?” Father questioned. 

“I could think of no better man for the job.” Lord Barton replied. “I believe I speak for both of us when I say that we would be honored to serve as your bannermen.”

Lady Romanoff nodded.

“I’m flattered, but I cannot accept this.” Father told them. “My responsibilities are here in Zephyr.”

“You have to.” Daisy blurted out.

Everyone turned to stare at her, and she realized that it was not her place to speak at a meeting like this. But she didn’t care. She couldn’t let her father pass up an opportunity like this. Not when he was so obviously perfect for the job. 

“The people of The Shield need you to step up.” Daisy continued. “You have always ruled the people of Tahiti well, and there is no reason to doubt that you would not make a good ruler for the kingdom.”

“Thank you, Daisy.” Her father gave her a small smile before turning back to the Lord and Lady. “But if I go to Triskelion, who will rule Zephyr?”

“Daisy can.” Mother suggested. “She’s a grown woman now. She’s smart, strong, and a natural born leader. She would make a great Lady of Zephyr.”

“I couldn’t do that.” She suddenly felt self-conscious. She wasn’t ready to take on that much responsibility. “I can’t rule an island. I-,”

“You could.” Jemma cut her off. “You would make a perfectly capable leader. And you wouldn’t be doing it all alone. I would be here to help you.”

“The people would never accept me.” Daisy argued. “They think I’m a witch.”

“Show them they’re wrong.” Jemma replied. “They’re afraid of your power because they don’t understand it. But they’ll accept you when they realize you’re a kind woman and a good leader.”

“Your sister is right.” Wanda told her. “Being a sorceress doesn’t have to keep you from being trusted or politically influential. In fact, you can learn to use your powers to your advantage.” 

Daisy was starting to feel like she didn’t have a choice. Not if she wanted her father to get the chance to be the Warden of The Shield. 

“Fine. I’ll do it.” Daisy agreed. “I’ll be the Lady of Zephyr when my father becomes the Lord of Triskelion.”

When the meeting was over, she went with the rest of their family up to their chambers. She saw Father stop Jemma outside of her bedroom. She knew what he was going to say to her before he even opened his mouth.

“Jemma, you are lucky you even got to sit at the high table with us.” He reprimanded. “If you ever speak out of turn like that again, you will never attend another meeting like that. You are a bastard. You have no right to speak out in front of a Lord and Lady. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” She nodded.

Daisy went up to her after their father walked away.

“Jemma, when I’m the Lady of Zephyr, you will always be able to attend important meetings and speak freely at them.” She told her. “You’re the smartest woman I know. And I would be honored to have you as my advisor.”

“Thank you.” Jemma smiled. “That means a lot to me.”

“You’re my sister, and you’re just as much a part of this family as anyone else. And under my rule, you’ll be treated as such.” Daisy promised. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

*****

Peggy arrived in Marvel with Steve’s bannermen eight days after King Nick’s death. She was nervous, although she would never let herself show it, lest her husband’s bannermen think she was weak or something. She knew their arrival would seem suspicious. It would make it seem like Steve was gathering his troops here to secure the Infinity Throne for himself. And although the letters he had sent them said they were simply there to help maintain peace and order in the court until a new king was decided, she knew that wasn’t true. Steve was an ambitious man, and a self-righteous one as well. If he thought he was the best fit to sit on the throne, he would do whatever it took to do so. 

Peggy mounted her horse beside her brother Michael Carter, the Lord of Britannia. They rode down the streets of Marvel behind soldiers carrying the banners of Houses Carter and Rogers, the red lion on a white field side by side with the red and white shield on a blue background. 

Behind them were Sam Wilson and James Barnes, the Lords of Chicago and York respectively. They had soldiers carrying their banners as well. Lord Wilson’s banner was a red falcon on a white field, and Lord Barnes’s a white wolf on a red field. Both Lords were formidable fighters, as well as trustworthy bannermen. They were unwaveringly loyal to House Rogers, and Steve considered them both close friends. 

Peggy admired them as fighters, but considered both of them to be ass kissers. They followed Steve’s orders blindly and without question, as if they didn’t have minds of their own. They were loyal soldiers and good friends, but little else. Their words even acknowledged it. House Wilson’s words were tsǔ shzan bahwüve. We are soldiers. And the words of House Barnes were hǔv de sbäk tsu de dam. Til the end of the line. They were good words for subservient knights, but not for powerful lords. 

When they reached Providence, the beautiful castle at the center of the capital city, the guards nodded and let them through the gates. She felt incredibly badass entering the castle on horseback. It made her seem powerful. Like she was above the incompetent fools and bootlicking sheep of the king’s court. Which she knew she absolutely was. 

Steve sat at the end of the Royal Hall, elevated on the Infinity Throne. It was an intricate chair made of pure gold with six colorful gemstones called the Infinity Stones, three on each armrest. They were said to hold all the power in the universe, and were there to symbolize the power the King of the Four Kingdoms holds in his hands. A myth, Peggy was sure, but they were beautiful nonetheless. 

Peggy had to admit that the throne suited Steve. He looked like the kind of person who was meant to sit on it. He was handsome, strong, and powerful. The kind of man who captured the attention of every room he walked into. He had garnered quite a reputation as a soldier during the war, and it had only grown when he became the Lord of Washington. Captain America, the people called him. The Star Spangled Lord of the western kingdom. 

But Warden of America evidently wasn’t enough for him anymore. Captain America wanted to be King of the Four Kingdoms. And apart from declaring war, there wasn’t much anyone could or would do to stop him. He was the most obvious solution to the crisis of succession. She wasn’t sure anyone would have the guts to challenge a man as influential and well-loved as him. 

Steve smiled at them as they approached. They got off their horses when they reached him. 

“Lord Wilson, Lord Barnes, Lord Carter, Lady Rogers,” he nodded at each of them in turn. “I’ve called you here on a matter of great importance. As you well know, our dear King Nick passed away suddenly last week with no heir. As Hand to the King, it is my duty to assume the throne until a true successor is appointed. But the Small Council still has yet to appoint someone. And so it is my intention to remain on the throne. I will serve with honor and justice as the King of the Xandarians, Lord of the Four Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. And I need your help to keep the throne and maintain order in the kingdoms during this time of transition. Can I count on you to do so?”

“It would be my honor.” Lord Wilson nodded, kneeling.

“I will serve you loyally, Your Grace.” Lord Barnes kneeled beside him.

“As will I.” Lord Carter kneeled as well.

Peggy remained standing.

“This is treason.” She pointed out. She was the only one who dared question him. 

“Is it?” Steve questioned. “No one else has claimed the throne. I have a better claim than anyone else. I was Nick’s Hand. He would trust me to be his successor. Do you disagree, my lady?”

“No, but it isn’t up for you alone to decide.” She argued. “You cannot claim the throne without the agreement of the Small Council.”

“Once I have secured the throne, I can do as I please without their permission.” He replied. “I can appoint new members myself. With you by my side, of course. My queen.”

Peggy stood silent for a moment. If Steve were successful in taking the throne, she would be queen. Queen Margaret of Houses Carter and Rogers. She liked the idea of being queen. But she wasn’t sure she wanted that to become a reality.

“Listen, my lord.” She told him. “I understand your desire to sit on the Infinity Throne. To be king. And perhaps, if weeks pass and they haven’t decided on anyone else, the Small Council will allow you to remain the king. But trying to claim the throne by force could start a civil war. I don’t think that you want to begin your reign with so much blood on your hands.”

“I would prefer it not to come to that. But if someone challenges my rule, then I’ll do what I must.”

“Then I’d suggest you prepare your troops.” A voice came from behind them.

Peggy turned to see Queen Maria walk in beside Lady Carol Danvers, the Lord Commander of the King’s Guard. But she wasn’t dressed like a knight.

She wore an extravagant black dress with orange gemstones sewn into the bodice, with a six pointed star in the center. Her hair was done in intricate braids and on top of her head was a silver crown with black diamonds and more orange gems, with a star in the center matching the one on her dress.

Behind them, was the Small Council as well as several members of the King’s Guard. 

“The Council has decided on a successor for King Nick.” Queen Maria announced. 

When they reached the center of the room, Lady Danvers kneeled before the Queen.

“Lady Carol Danvers, you served my late husband well as the Lord Commander of the King’s Guard.” The queen began, placing her husband’s sword on Carol’s shoulder. “He considered you to be his own daughter, and we have agreed that he would have wanted you as his successor. So, from this day forward, you will be formally adopted as part of House Fury. Although you are not a member of this family by blood, you have always been in spirit, and now you shall be in name as well. From this day forth, you shall be known as Queen Carol of House Fury, First of Her Name, Queen of the Xandarians, Lady of the Four Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm. Arise, Queen Carol.”

The new queen stood, and those around her kneeled, except for Steve and his bannermen. Queen Carol approached.

“My Lord, it would appear that this throne is mine now.” She smiled. “As your queen, I command you to give it up and swear your allegiance to me.” 

“No, my lady.” He shook his head and stayed put. “I am the king now. If you want the throne, you’ll have to take it by force.”

“Then that’s what I’ll do.” 

*****

Peter walked down the steps of the Iron Tower after his lesson with Maester Happy. After the attack, and the news that Hydra had returned, Father had finally agreed to let him train to fight. 

He was excited, but also scared. He knew that he would be a good fighter. His powers gave him enhanced strength and agility, as well as the ability to do things like climb walls. But he also knew that this was dangerous. There was a war coming. A war he would have to fight in. 

But he pushed away his doubts. He had to. He wasn’t a kid anymore. He was seventeen, almost a full grown man. And he was the future Lord of Malibu and Warden of the Iron Lands. His kingdom needed a strong, brave, intelligent ruler. And he was determined to be that one day. Just like his father. 

When he reached the yard, Father was already waiting for him. Peter knew that he hadn’t really wanted to do this. He worried that his son wasn’t ready. He still wanted to protect him, like he was a child. But his childhood was over now. It had to be. 

The master of arms was in the yard with Father. He had a red and gold suit of armor with a phoenix, like Lord Stark’s. He also had a sword of Pazílish steel with a gold hilt. He helped Peter put on the armor.

It was heavy, and not just from the physical weight of it. He could feel the symbolic weight of it too. This was a suit of armor identical to his father’s. Because someday, he would have to take his place. He would have to live up to his legendary father. Keep his legacy alive. That was a lot of pressure.

Training was exhausting, and it really didn’t go well. He was nervous, not to mention weighed down by the heavy armor. After about an hour, Peter dropped the sword.

“I’m done. I can’t do this.” He told them. “I’m sorry.”

He took off his armor and ran back inside. His father followed him up to his bed chambers. 

“Peter, what’s wrong?” He asked, sitting down on the bed beside him. 

“I can’t do this.” Peter replied. “You’re training me to be you. But I’m not you. I’m not going to be the same fighter as you. I’m not going to be the same lord as you. I can’t be you. I can’t live up to that.”

“It’s alright.” Father comforted. “No one expects you to be me. You are your own person. You’re going to be a different kind of lord. Probably a better lord than me. So what can I do to help you?”

“I want different armor.” He started. “Yours is too heavy. I want something more lightweight, more suited to my powers and my style of fighting. 

“We can do that.”

“What if, since I have spider-like powers, I had like gloves or gauntlets or something that shot webs?” Peter suggested.

“That sounds cool.” Father smiled. “We can meet with the master of arms later.”

“Maybe I could have a lighter sword, as well?”

“Of course.”

The next morning, Peter stood next to his father at the entrance to the Phoenix Gates, the grand gates surrounding the Iron Tower. The Phoenix Gates were tall and formidable, but also extravagant. They were iron, but accented with gold, with two red and gold phoenixes rising from either side of the entrance. 

His father had called his bannermen to Malibu. The Lords of the Iron Lands were meeting to discuss the kingdom’s response to the Hydra threat and the events in Marvel. Word had spread throughout the Four Kingdoms that, a few days ago, Lord Rogers had refused to give up the Infinity Throne when Lady Carol Danvers, now Lady Carol Fury, had been named King Nick’s rightful heir. 

Father had been pissed. He and Lord Rogers had a long history, and a lot of bad blood, between them. Two years after the Hydra Uprising, a civil war had broken out between America and the Iron Lands, over America’s attempt to claim more power by invading Sokovia, the small nation west of America. After the initial invasion, a group of desperate Sokovians had sailed to Malibu to ask for help, knowing of the long and bitter rivalry between the two Xandarian kingdoms, and Lord Stark had declared war on America. Neither side won and after only a few weeks of fighting, a truce had been called. However, most of Sokovia had been destroyed, and many of its surviving citizens had fled to other countries. 

The first bannermen to arrive was Lord James Rhodes, Lord of Mojave, who rode in behind his banners, a silver and red hellhound on a black field. House Rhodes had the most impressive military of any minor house in the Four Kingdoms. Their words were yaw̃ ekpem kèt pizen. We are war machines.

Lord Rhodes was one of Father’s closest friends. They had grown up together. They were both raised together in Malibu, as Lord Rhodes was a ward of the Stark family as a child. They fought side by side in the Hydra Uprising and the Sokovian War. Lord Rhodes was his father’s most trusted advisor, and he had always been able to check Lord Stark’s more reckless impulses, as much as those could be controlled anyway. 

“Tony,” Lord Rhodes greeted him warmly, getting off his horse. Father hugged him.

“Rhodey,” Father smiled. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You as well, although I wish we were meeting under happier circumstances.” He turned to Peter. “But maybe we will be soon. You’re almost a man now.”

“I am, my lord.”

“Any wedding plans yet?” Lord Rhodes asked, half-joking. 

“N-no, my lord.” Peter stammered nervously. 

To Peter’s relief, the next bannerman approached the gates before the awkward conversation could continue. Lord Stephen Strange, Lord of Kathmandu, rode in behind two soldiers carrying his banners, a red and gold cherufe on a dark blue background. Peter didn’t know much about Lord Strange. He was a mysterious man. However, he did know that the lord had trained to become a sorcerer, and was a very powerful one as well. This was considered odd by many, but magic was commonly practiced in Kathmandu, and the lords of House Strange were expected to learn it. Their words were yǔflǔz, mik, nènĩli. Faith, truth, knowledge. Simple words, for a house that seemed anything but simple. 

The last bannerman to arrive was Lord William Potts, Lord of Maveth. He was a cousin of Lady Pepper’s, the last member of House Potts left for the lordship to pass to when Lady Pepper’s father died, as she had already been wed to Lord Stark. He rode in behind the banners of House Potts, a gold dragon on a blue background. Peter knew the words of House Potts by heart. They were his mother’s words, and he himself wished he could live by them. Taw̃ ekpe gawthnènũw. I am invincible.

Father led his bannermen inside to the Great Hall. Peter was nervous as he took his seat beside him. This was the first time he was allowed to attend a meeting like this. He was being groomed to be the next Lord of Malibu. And just like during battle training the day before, he was worried about living up to his father’s legacy and reputation. 

“Lord Rogers has no right to claim the throne.” Father said, snapping him out of his thoughts. 

“He doesn’t.” Lord Rhodes agreed. “But really, neither does Lady Danvers. Queen Maria can give her the name Fury, but that doesn’t give her a legitimate claim to the throne.”

“That’s true.” Father conceded. “However, we have no choice but to back her. We cannot allow House Rogers to remain on the Infinity Throne.”

“Unless you claim the throne yourself.” Lord Strange suggested. Everyone turned to look at him, surprised at what he was suggesting. “Really, my lord, you have as good of a claim to it as anyone else. And I can think of no better man for the job.”

“Nor can I.” Lord Potts nodded. 

“Lord Rhodes?” Father questioned, seemingly looking for a way out. Lord Rhodes didn’t give him one.

“They’re right.” He replied. “You would make an excellent king. You could claim the throne, if you wanted. We can unite the Four Kingdoms behind you during the war with Hydra, which would secure your title as King of the Four Kingdoms.”

Father was silent for a moment, considering. Then he spoke up. 

“Perhaps you’re right.” He told them. “I’m honored to know that you would support me if I were to claim the Infinity Throne. I’ll consider it.”

Peter felt a sense of dread rise up inside him. He may have to step up as Lord of Malibu sooner than he thought. And if Father was successful, when he died, Peter would be king. The thought terrified him. His father would be one of the greatest kings the Xandarians had ever known. Peter knew he would never be able to live up to that. 

*****

Loki woke to a blood curdling scream. He knew immediately that it was Frigga. He scrambled out of bed and ran down to her and Father’s bedchamber. He saw Thor and Hela running down the hall too. They practically tripped over each other trying to get through the doorway. 

The three siblings surrounded the bed. Loki sat down beside Frigga, who was sobbing, and pulled her into his arms. Thor kneeled next to the other side of the bed, where Odin lay motionless. Hela just stood silently at the foot of the bed. 

“What happened?” Thor asked. 

“I woke up and he was dead.” Frigga sobbed. “I don’t understand. He was fine last night.”

“He was old, Mother.” Hela remarked, oddly emotionless. “Perhaps he just passed away naturally.”

“Perhaps, but I don’t think so.” She replied, pulling away from Loki to turn her gaze on her daughter. “I think he was murdered.”

“Who would want to murder Father?” Thor questioned. “The Frost Giants?”

“Or Hydra.” Loki suggested. 

“Hydra makes the most sense.” Frigga agreed. “Whoever it was, they likely did it to gain power, hoping we might descend into chaos. We cannot allow that to happen. We must show the people of Asgard that we are strong. Thor, we should hold your coronation as soon as possible. You are the new Lord of Asgard.”

Thor nodded solemnly. 

Most of the day passed in a sad chaotic blur. Hasty preparations were being made for Thor’s coronation. Normally, they would wait at least a week before holding the new lord’s coronation, but given the circumstances, it had been decided that this time, the coronation would be held tomorrow night. Odin’s funeral would be held immediately after. 

The next evening, the people of Asgard gathered outside the Asgardian Palace. Everyone was dressed in black mourning clothes, except for Thor, who wore an Asgardian gold cape over his black robes. Frigga solemnly placed Odin’s crown on Thor’s head.

“Citizens of Asgard, I present to you, Thor of House Odinson, the new Lord and Warden of Asgard.” She announced.

The crowd applauded, but no one cheered. Everyone was still in a state of shock and sadness from the news of Odin’s sudden death. 

Lady Sif and Lady Valkyrie walked up to Thor and kneeled before him, symbolically pledging their swords to the service of the new ruling house, House Odinson, and the new Lord of the Kingdom of Asgard. Frigga, Loki, and Hela kneeled as well, and the people in the crowd followed suit. 

“Heill Herra þórr Óðinnsonnar, dróttinn til Ásgarðr.” The crowd said. _Hail Lord Thor Odinson, Lord of Asgard._

“No, not the Lord.” Lady Valkyrie spoke up, as the crowd stood again. “The King of Asgard. Why should we bow to a King from a far off kingdom who doesn’t understand us?”

“She’s right.” Frigga said. “From this day forth, Asgard shall be its own independent kingdom.”

“Ásgarðr-konungr!” Lady Sif shouted. _The King of Asgard._

Other people took up the chant. Eventually, everyone joined in the shouting. Everyone except Hela, Loki noticed. Hela stood silent, looking equal parts amused and enraged. Was she jealous? 

A realization hit Loki like a ton of bricks. Hela had always been ambitious. She had always thought she was entitled to succeed Father because she was the eldest. Her odd behavior this morning started to make sense. Had she been the one to kill Odin? Was she plotting to take power in Asgard? And now that Asgard was declaring itself an independent kingdom, would she use the opportunity the forthcoming chaos would provide to challenge Thor for the throne? Loki suspected she would. 

After the coronation, everyone crossed the Rainbow Bridge to the shore of the Asgardian Sea. Usually, an event like this would be followed by a grand feast, but there would be no feast when everyone was in mourning. Instead, this coronation would be followed by a funeral and preparations for war. News would travel quickly that the northern kingdom intended to declare independence. And no doubt, a war with the other kingdoms would be coming soon. 

Odin’s body was laid on a pyre and pushed out to sea. As his body floated away, an archer lit an arrow and shot it out after the boat. It hit and Odin’s body went up in flames. Afterwards, the crowd released glowing purple orbs, created with Asgardian magic. It was the traditional funeral of the Asgardians, a ceremony going back a thousand years. 

Loki had never been particularly close with his father, and they had never gotten along particularly well. But he found himself shedding a tear watching the funeral. Thor was doing his best to remain stoic, but he was crying as well. Frigga was openly distraught. The only member of the family who remained cold and unemotional was Hela. Which made Loki even more suspicious of her. She was close to Father. Father loved her. One would expect her to be upset right now. But of course, if she had been the one to kill him, she wouldn’t be. 

After the funeral, they headed back to the palace, and everyone went up to their own bed chambers. Loki thought about telling Thor and Frigga about his suspicions about Hela, but ultimately decided not to. This wasn’t the right time. He could talk to them in the morning. 

Instead, he decided to go for a walk in the forest. It was late at night, but he knew he could take on anything lurking out here. He just needed to clear his head a bit.

Loki walked for almost an hour before he saw anyone. But suddenly, he heard voices through the trees. 

“My brother is a fool to declare Asgard an independent kingdom.” It was Hela. “He is not prepared for the war he is about to start. He will lead thousands of troops to a meaningless death. But, we can use this to our advantage.”

He peered through the trees. He saw Hela surrounded by a group of men in dark cloaks. He didn’t recognize any of them.

“If the Asgardian people want an independent kingdom, we will help them get it.” Hela announced. “But they will not have Thor as their king for long. I am Odin’s eldest, I was always his favorite. I am his rightful heir. And I will be the Queen of Asgard.”

Shouts of agreement came from the group. Loki was pretty sure Thor was Odin’s favorite child, but no one of the men she spoke to knew that. 

“And I will rule the Kingdom of Asgard in the name of Hydra.” She continued. “I poisoned my father for our cause, and I will stop at nothing to further it. Hail Hydra!”

“Hail Hydra!” The crowd shouted in reply. 

Loki turned and walked away from the scene in front of him. His suspicions about her were correct. She had killed Odin. But it was worse than he thought. She had done it in the name of Hydra. The Asgardian royal family had a traitor among them and they didn’t even know it. 

He knew he had no choice now. He had to tell Thor and Frigga of Hela’s betrayal. They had to stop her, no matter the personal cost. They couldn’t allow Hydra to rule Asgard. Or there wouldn’t be an Asgard at all for much longer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> William Potts is supposed to be Will Daniels from season 3 of Agents of SHIELD (cause he was on Maveth with Jemma, so I made him the Lord of Maveth. And apparently Pepper's cousin.)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this. I'll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	6. Matters of Life and Death

Pepper laid in bed with Tony, who had just spent hours in a meeting with his bannermen. They had told him to declare himself King of the Four Kingdoms, then invade Marvel. She could tell he wanted to do it. But she also knew he was apprehensive. He was worried that he wasn’t making the right decision. That he would make things worse. That he would put his family in danger. 

But this was the best thing he could do for the people of the Iron Lands. The Xandarian Kingdoms were about to descend into a war of succession that could last for years. The sooner Tony could end this, the safer their people would be. 

“You have to do this, Tony.” Pepper told him. 

“Thousands of men could die.” He pointed out.

“Thousands more could die if you don’t.” She argued. “We both know that Marvel won’t see peace for years if House Rogers and House Fury go to war. But we have arguably the strongest army in the realm, and the armies of the other kingdoms will be too divided to stop us. We can win the throne quickly and end this within a year. Or, you can bend the knee to some illegitimate ruler like Steve Rogers or Carol Danvers and stay involved in the war for years, getting thousands more of your men killed.” 

“Do you really think people would want me to be their king?” Tony questioned. “Would they really want to kneel to me?”

“They would.” She assured him. “You aren’t just feared and respected by the people of the Iron Lands. You are loved. You’re a hero to them. They already look to you for leadership. They would gladly accept you as their king.”

“Then I’ll do it.” He agreed solemnly. “I’ll be the King of the Iron Lands, then the rest of Xandar. And you’ll be my queen. We’ll rule our kingdoms side by side. You’ll be the greatest queen any nation has ever known.” 

“And you’ll be the greatest king.” 

The next two days were filled with preparations for their next move. This was a delicate situation and it had to be handled with the utmost care. They couldn’t risk doing this too hastily and being invaded by an army. They wanted to minimize casualties among their people. And when war came, they wanted the armies of the Iron Lands to go to Marvel, to avoid the sacking or burning of cities in their kingdom. Decimated landscapes and the mass killing of innocents would be a terrible way to start a new chapter in their history.

It had been decided that they would hold an elaborate coronation in the Grand Hall of the Iron Tower, that would be open to as many citizens as they could fit inside. People from all classes would be welcome to attend, and the ceremony would be conducted in both Pazìlish and the Common Tongue. 

Pepper stood in front of a mirror. She had been dressed by her handmaidens in an elaborate blue and gold gown, with golden dragon wings. On top of her head, she wore a gold crown patterned after flames. How all of this had been made in two days, she would never understand. But she looked like a real queen. She felt like a real queen. And in a few moments, she would be. 

She walked into the hallway, where Tony was waiting for her. He wore red and gold robes, with golden phoenix wings. His crown was identical to hers. He looked every bit the part of King of the Iron Lands. 

He took her arm and together they walked through the doors to the Great Hall. As they walked down the aisle, everyone in the audience stood and bowed their heads as they passed them. Two golden thrones sat at the front of the room on a raised platform. They had the same flame patterns as the crown, but the one on the right, Tony’s, had red cushions, and the chair on the left, Pepper’s, had blue ones. The banners of House Stark and House Potts hung on either side of the thrones.

It had been important for the houses of the Iron Lands to show unity as they began their campaign, lest a lord from Asgard, or America, or anywhere else think they could take advantage of one of the minor houses and try to sow seeds of resentment or jealousy for the power House Stark now had. So Lord Rhodes was now Hand to the King and Lord Strange was the Master of Whispers. Her cousin, Lord Potts, wouldn’t be getting a seat on the Small Council, as House Potts was already the house of the queen. Master Happy would be promoted to Grand Maester, and an offer was being sent to Lord Edwin Jarvis, who sat on the Small Council in Marvel, to continue his position as Master of Coin when Tony became king. The rest of the new Small Council had yet to be determined, but they would likely be selected from the other three kingdoms, so no one would be unrepresented. 

The crowd remained standing as Tony and Pepper took their seats on the thrones. Maester Happy approached walked up the aisle and knelt before them, alongside a translator named May Parker, before walking to stand behind them. 

“I now proclaim Lord Tony of House Stark, First of His Name, Lord of the Iron Lands, King of the Four Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, and Lady Pepper of Houses Stark and Potts the King and Queen of the Xandarians.” Maester Happy announced. 

“Taw̃ sìj panvǔ Kpǔhènfù Kpûbaws Tsàgb fi Kpùdh Tsàgb, Sì fi Awt Kpùhè, Kpǔhènfù fi Kpìgb Zogũ, Mempaw fi sej Gbũf Mempawngùmenmu, mu Tǔrsàs fi sej Impo, mu Kpǔhènje Oru fi Kpùdhen Tsàgb mu Mashkip sej Mempaw mu Os fi sej Kpìgb Zogũ.” May translated. 

“Long live the Phoenix King and the Dragon Queen.” 

“Ma bik sej Mempaw Nawchrawr mu sej Os Chavwù.”

*****

Thor stood at the front of his army. It had only been two days since he had been crowned, but he planned on leading his troops to Marvel as soon as possible. The Asgardian army was strong, and they were ready for battle whenever it should come. House Borson was always prepared for war, and House Odinson would be no different. A plan of attack was already being finalized. If they were going to win independence for Asgard, they would need to strike before the new king or queen was settled, and their armies would still be divided. They would be leaving to invade the capital tomorrow. Hopefully, they could form an alliance with one of the claimants to the throne, on the condition that they would allow Asgard to become an independent kingdom. If not, they would simply have to defeat any opposing army in battle. 

At the moment, he was inspecting his troops, and overseeing their training. He would be selecting his best soldiers and commanders to fight for independence. But he would need to leave a good number of them in Asgard, in case of an invasion from the Frost Giants or another kingdom, or gods forbid another attack by Hydra. The realm was being overrun by chaos, and they needed to remain vigilant. He couldn’t risk leaving his people vulnerable here while he took his troops across the Avengers Sea. He was the King of Asgard, and he couldn’t afford to make such a costly mistake. 

Currently, Hela, Lady Sif, and Lady Valkyrie were back in the war room of the Asgardian Palace, going over the details of their invasion of the capital. They were his best strategic minds, and there was no better group to be charged with making the devising a battle plan. When he returned from selecting his troops, he and his other chosen generals would join them and they would go over their plan with him. If there were any disagreements, Thor would be the one to settle them. But overall, he felt more comfortable letting them make most of the important decisions. He was a great fighter and a confident leader, but he admittedly didn’t have the most strategic mind in the realm. 

In the end, he selected three more generals, aside from himself, Sif, and Valkyrie, that he would be taking to lead his armies into battle. Their names were Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg. They were known as the Warriors Three, and they were his most trusted military commanders, as well as some of his closest friends since childhood. 

When they arrived in the war room, Hela, Lady Sif, and Lady Valkyrie all seemed to be in agreement on their battle plans, and Thor was happy with them as well. He decided that Fandral and Hogun would lead archery units, while Sif and Volstagg led the spearmen, Valkyrie led the cavalry, and Thor led the infantry. They would be taking about three-fourths of the Asgardian forces. Sif argued that they might want to leave more than a quarter of their forces to defend the kingdom at home, but it was ultimately decided that they needed to take as many troops as possible with them. 

The next morning, Thor and his troops loaded their warships. He felt confident that no army in Marvel would be able to defeat them. The battle would be quick and decisive. They would beat whatever forces were there to stop them, force the city to surrender, and grant said surrender on the terms of Asgardian independence. Then they would sail home victorious. Asgard would be a sovereign nation for the first time in a thousand years.

Hela would be running the city while he was away. She had come to the docks to see him off, along with Mother and Loki. He had hardly gotten to see his mother and brother since his coronation. He had been too busy planning his war campaign. But he was grateful that he would get to say goodbye to them before he left. 

Loki had approached him several times, telling him that he needed to talk to him about something important. But what his brother considered to be important wasn’t usually that important. Whatever it was, Thor saw no reason why it couldn’t wait. He was busy, preparing to lead an army off to battle. He didn’t have time for Loki’s childish nonsense. 

Hela was the first to come up to him on the docks. She gave him a hug, which was slightly unusual for her, but he didn’t think too much of it. He could be killed in battle. It only made sense for her to want to hug her brother one last time. 

“Goodbye, little brother.” She told him fondly. “Come home safe.”

“I will.” He promised. “Goodbye, sister.”

“I best get back to the palace. Someone has to take care of the city while you’re off securing our freedom.”

He nodded. She smiled before walking away. 

Mother walked up to him next. She hugged him tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“You’ll lead us to a swift victory.” She said, caressing his face. “I know it.”

“Thank you.”

“I love you.” 

“I love you too.” 

“Take care of Loki, okay?” Thor told her. “Make sure he doesn’t get in too much trouble.”

“I can try, but you know your brother.” She replied. “Trouble follows him whenever he goes.”

“Goodbye, Mother.” He kissed her on the cheek.

“Goodbye, Thor.”

Loki was the last to approach him.

“Thor, I need to tell you something before you leave.” He said urgently. “Please, you have to listen to me. It’s important. It cannot wait until you return.”

“Loki, I don’t have time for your drama right now.”

“This isn’t drama, this is a matter of life and death.” He insisted. “You can’t allow Hela to rule in your absence.”

Thor rolled his eyes. 

“So this is about petty drama.” He remarked. “You’re jealous that I left our sister in charge.” 

“She’s Hydra.” He blurted. He looked around quickly to make sure no one had heard, before continuing in a quieter tone. “I saw her in the woods the night of your coronation. She was talking to a group of hooded men, telling them that she would take your throne and rule Asgard in the name of Hydra.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Thor almost laughed. “There is no way she’s Hydra. Clearly you misheard, or mistook someone else for her.”

“No, I didn’t.” He argued. “You have to believe me. The whole kingdom is in danger.”

Thor sighed. 

“I’ll tell you what, Loki. Keep an eye on Hela while I’m gone. If you catch her doing anything else suspicious, tell me when I get back. I understand that Hydra is a threat that we need to take care of. And I appreciate your concern. But first, we need to focus on the matter at hand. Asgardian independence. So keep your eyes peeled for signs of Hydra. If something happens, deal with it to the best of your abilities. We can formulate a better plan to take them out when I return.”

“As you wish, Your Grace.” Loki replied, oddly formal.

Thor pulled his little brother into a hug.

“I love you.” He told him.

“I love you too. Goodbye, brother.”

“Goodbye, Loki.”

*****

Steve rode into battle on the streets of Marvel, charging towards Lady Danvers herself. The war against House Fury had officially begun, and he was leading his troops to fight for his crown.

His sword clashed with hers. He had to admit, she was a good fighter. She was the Lord Commander of the King’s Guard for a reason. He couldn’t get a good hit on her. Couldn’t breach her armor. It wasn’t particularly heavy armor, but it was strong. Orange and black, with the same star from her crown on the chest plate. Her sword had a flerken on its hilt, with its mouth open, as if it was spitting the blade from its mouth. It looked threatening, but more importantly, it was Pazìlish steel, from the Iron Lands. It was the ancestral sword of House Fury, called Hero.

Steve didn’t fight with any special sword. He didn’t need one. House Rogers didn’t have an ancestral sword. They had an ancestral shield. It didn’t have a name, but it didn’t need one. It was on their sigil. Every man, woman, and child from Asgard to Maveth knew that shield, and what it represented.

But it wasn’t just a symbol. It was a damn good shield. Made of vibranium, a rare, but extremely strong metal only found in the country of Wakanda, on the west coast of mainland Sakaar, just east of The Shield. Pazìlish steel may make the best swords in the world, but even that couldn’t get through his shield.

Eventually, he managed to knock her sword from her hands with the shield. He smiled as he swung his sword, thinking he finally had her. And he almost did. But she leaned backwards and ducked it just in time. Before he could try again, beams of light shot from her hands, and she knocked him off his horse. 

He scrambled to his feet and reached for her, dragging her off her horse. She hit the ground hard, but was up faster than he could take advantage of her position. She picked up her sword, and their weapons clashed again. He thrust his sword at a gap in her armor, and nearly had her again. But this time, she jumped and seemingly flew backwards, out of his reach. He charged at her again, but she flew upwards, and came down straight at him. He tried to move out of the way, but he couldn’t quite dodge her. She knocked him over and pinned him to the ground, her sword piercing through his lower abdomen. 

Lady Danvers smiled down at him, before removing her sword and walking away. He tried to get up, but he couldn’t move. He looked around, and saw soldiers still fighting. He also saw men from both sides lying dead, as well as innocent civilians who had the misfortune to get caught up in the battle. The streets ran red with blood. 

“Steve!” He heard a familiar voice call out his name, and heard footsteps running towards him. He thought it might have been Bucky. 

But before the man reached him, everything went black. 

When Steve woke up again, he was in bed. He looked around, he saw that he was not in the Hand’s chambers. Or anywhere in the castle at Marvel. The only thing he recognized was the man sitting next to his bed.

“Bucky?” He called. 

Everyone else referred to him as Lord Barnes. But he had been Steve’s closest friend almost as long as he could remember. To him, he was just Bucky. And behind closed doors, Bucky just called him Steve. 

“Steve, thank the gods you’re awake.” Bucky said. “The maester wasn’t sure if you would live.”

“Where are we?”

“We’re on a ship back to America.” He explained. “If we stayed in Marvel, Queen Carol would’ve had us all killed. She would have had your head on a spike for sure.” 

“We need to regroup and recover.” Steve decided. “Then, we need to try again.”

“Are you sure you still want the crown?”

“I am. But we need more allies. We need to overwhelm her with a force so powerful that her sorcery won’t matter.”

“Where are we going to get more allies?” He questioned. “Do you think the other kingdoms would support your claim?”

“Definitely not the Iron Lands. Lord Stark would sooner declare himself king than fight to put me on the throne.”

“He already has.”

“When did he do that?”

“Three days ago. We received the news shortly after we boarded the ship.”

“That’s just great.” Steve muttered sarcastically. “Perhaps the Asgardians would ally with us. They’re already rebelling against the crown.”

“They might.” Bucky agreed. “But only if you agree to grant them independence.” 

“I’d be willing to consider it.” He conceded. “What about The Shield? I know that the Coulsons used to be bannermen to House Fury, but they rule the kingdom now, and I’ve always had a good relationship with Lord Coulson.”

“It could be worth a try, although I think they’d be more likely to side with Queen Carol, especially since she was legitimized by Queen Maria. Besides, we’d have to pass Marvel again to land in The Shield. The queen’s ships will block us from crossing the Avengers Sea.”

“Unless we don’t go that way.” Steve suggested.

“What are you talking about?”

“What if we go south, and cross Vormir through the Wildlands? We could even try to form an alliance with Queen Hope and Prince Scott.”

“And their magically mind controlled army of bugs?” Bucky raised an eyebrow.

“They have a human army too.” Steve pointed out. 

“I heard they shrink and ride flying ants into battle.”

“I hope they do.” He laughed. “That just might be useful. From the Wildlands, we can sail east to The Shield, then north to Asgard. Then we can invade Marvel again with whatever allies we have.”

“For once in your life, you seem to have come up with a decent plan.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

Steve smiled and grabbed Bucky, pulling him down to kiss him. Bucky latched on, but eventually pulled away.

“I don’t want to get carried away.” He told him. “I don’t want to injure you more.”

Steve nodded. 

“Of course. But you can still kiss me again.”

“As you wish, Your Grace.”

He leaned down and caught his lips in another kiss. They stayed like that until they had to pull away for air. 

“I love you.” Bucky told him quietly.

“I love you too.” 

*****

Jemma sat next to Daisy in their father’s solar. Well, it was Daisy’s solar now. Father had left for Triskelion days ago, and today, they had received a raven from him, saying that he and Lady Melinda had arrived safely. 

Daisy was having a hard time adjusting to her new duties as Lady of Zephyr. The realm had descended into civil war, and she was stressed. She constantly worried that she wasn’t going to be a good leader. That she was going to make the wrong decision and put her people in danger. 

“Gods, why did I let you talk me into becoming the Lady of Zephyr?” She asked. 

“Because Father needed you to step up so he could take Triskelion.” Jemma replied.

“And now I’m trying to rule an island during wartime when I’m barely a grown woman.”

“You’re doing fine.”

“Until I have to lead troops into battle.” Daisy argued. “We’re the only kingdom not involved in the civil war yet. It’s only a matter of time before Father declares House Coulson for one side or another. Or Lord Barton and Lady Romanoff talk him into doing something insane, like take the throne himself. Or gods forbid there’s another Hydra attack.”

“Relax, Daisy.” Jemma placed her hand over her sister’s. “Whatever happens, we’ll handle it. Together.”

“I’m so glad you’re here.” She told her. “You’re the smartest person I know. There’s no way I would be able to do this without you.”

“You could.” She smiled. “But you’ll never have to.”

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Daisy called.

A handmaiden walked in the room.

“There’s a woman at the gates, my lady.” She said. “She says she’s an old friend of Lord Coulson’s. The guards told her that Lord Coulson is in Triskelion, but she insisted she wanted to speak with whoever was here.”

“Well, why don’t we go down and see what she wants?” Daisy suggested.

Jemma nodded.

She followed her sister down the stairs and outside to the beautiful yards surrounding the castle. As they approached the gates, she saw three guards, as well as an unfamiliar woman, who she assumed must be the one the handmaiden was talking about.

She knew the guards fairly well, all sworn Knights of The Shield. Ser Alfonso Mackenzie, nicknamed Mack, Ser Elena Rodriguez, and Ser Lance Hunter. Elena was a sorceress, with the power to move at a speed beyond the comprehension of most people. She was also engaged to Mack. Hunter was married to Lady Bobbi Hunter, the Master of Whispers in Marvel. Mack, Elena, and Hunter were three of the best knights in the kingdom, and Father had chosen them to stay in Zephyr for that reason. Between the three of them, no threat would be able to get inside the castle. 

“Who is this?” Daisy asked them.

“This is Rosalind Price, my lady.” Elena told her. 

“And what does she want here?”

“To speak with you.” Mack replied. 

“She won’t tell us what about.” Hunter said. “All she would tell us is that she used to know Lord Coulson.”

Daisy turned to look at Jemma and raised an eyebrow, an obvious question in her eyes. Jemma nodded.

“Let her in.” Daisy commanded. 

“Are you sure, my lady?” Mack questioned.

“I am.” She gestured to Rosalind. “Come with us.”

Daisy and Jemma led the woman through the yard and up to the castle. 

“Beautiful gardens.” Rosalind remarked. “The island flora are gorgeous. I haven’t seen plants like this in a long time.”

“What do you want with us?” Daisy asked bluntly.

“I used to be friends with your father.” She told them. “You must be Daisy Coulson and Jemma Rain.”

“How did you know Father?” Jemma asked.

“He and I met when he was on a diplomatic trip to America, about nineteen years ago. We hit it off quickly. But I haven’t seen him in awhile. I came to Zephyr several years ago to see him, but he only agreed to meet me at an inn for a few minutes.”

“You’re aware that our father isn’t here.” Daisy said. “What do you want with us?”

“I have some important information for you.” Rosalind told them. “The lives of the people of The Four Kingdoms could depend on it. But it’s best if we talk inside.”

Daisy led them back up to the solar. Rosalind sat down across from them at the table.

“I have a plan to take out Hydra.” She explained. “And I think you two may be the best people to help me.”

“Why us?” Daisy asked.

“And why are you qualified to be making plans to take out Hydra?” Jemma questioned. 

“I’m qualified because I’ve been working with a military group focused on utilizing powered individuals. We think we have a plan that could help defeat Hydra. And we want you to help us.”

“But why us?” Daisy pressed.

“I don’t even have powers.” Jemma pointed out. 

“You may not be a sorceress, but you’re the most talented alchemist in the Four Kingdoms. You brought a man back from the dead. And I bet you know countless ways to kill men too. You’re powerful.” Rosalind turned to Daisy. “And you’re one of the most renowned sorceresses in the realm. You can cause earthquakes. You can destroy buildings. If anyone can bring down Hydra, it’s the two of you.” 

“So you want us to just, hunt down Hydra and decimate them?” Daisy questioned.

“Not by yourselves. But you would be leaders in the initiative. You’re known throughout the realm as the Witches of Zephyr. People would follow you.”

“We’re known as the Witches of Zephyr?” Jemma raised an eyebrow. She knew they were famous, but she didn’t know people had given them a name. 

“You are.” She nodded. “People fear you. Hydra will fear you. They may thrive on death and destruction. But you’re experts on those subjects as well. So, what do you say?”

“We’ll think about it.” Daisy answered.

“Good.” Rosalind smiled, standing up. “Let me know when you’ve made up your minds. I’ll be in town for a few days.”

She left without another word.

“That was odd.” Jemma remarked. “What exactly does she want from us?”

“I’m not sure, but I think she’s interested in us for more than just our abilities.” Daisy paused. “What if she’s your mother?” 

“What?” Jemma almost laughed.

“Think about it. Father mentioned one time that your mother was from America. And she knew him around the time you would’ve been conceived. This isn’t even the first time she’s tried to visit here. If she wanted to finally get the chance to meet her daughter, when would be a better time to do it than right after Father left?”

“I don’t know.” Jemma shrugged. “I think you’re being ridiculous.”

“She could have picked anyone. But she chose us. She clearly admires you.”

“She just admires my abilities, and yours as well. Besides, we don’t even look alike.”

“I could see a resemblance.” Daisy smiled, and Jemma rolled her eyes. “Look, it’s just a theory.”

“A stupid theory.” 

Jemma turned to stare out the window. Her sister was always coming up with ridiculous theories. But maybe Daisy had a point about this. It was still a far-fetched theory, though. And she didn’t want to dare get her hopes up. 

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder. Was Rosalind her mother?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my map shows up on my laptop but not on my phone, so maybe it's just a mobile issue. I'm not sure how to fix it, I've never put a picture in a work before, but I'll try.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll have more soon. Thanks for reading! :)


	7. Bend the Knee

Peggy walked the corridors of Brooklyn Castle. A week had passed since the Battle of Marvel. Steve hadn’t thought they would be back here so soon. Neither had his bannermen. But she’d had a suspicion that they wouldn’t be able to defeat Queen Carol in battle. Not alone. He might be a great warrior, but she was both a great warrior and a powerful sorceress. He would never beat her one on one. If he wanted to sit on the Infinity Throne, he would need allies. 

But before he could get allies, he needed to recover from his injuries. Maester Abraham said it was a miracle he survived at all. They wouldn’t be sailing anywhere anytime soon. 

She had only been to see him once since he’d woken up. And she hadn’t seen him at all since they’d returned to Washington. She had been too busy. But she knew it was her duty as a wife to check on him. Despite how stubborn and foolish he could be, and despite the fact that they didn’t always get along, she still cared about him. She had been worried after the battle. She had been scared when she saw his seemingly lifeless body being carried off the street. And she had been relieved when the maester told her he would live.

It was the evening after they landed in America. And she was finally going to see him. She hoped he was awake. She needed to talk to him. They hadn’t gotten to speak since before the battle, and they had important things to discuss. They had a war campaign to prepare. A campaign that would take a lot of planning if they wanted it to succeed. 

Peggy approached the door to Steve’s bedchambers, but before she knocked, she heard voices from inside. 

“We need to be careful.” Steve said quietly. 

“We will be. I promise I’ll be gentle with you.” Another man’s voice replied. “You know I would never hurt you.”

The other voice sounded familiar, and she tried desperately to figure out who it belonged to. It almost sounded like Lord Barnes. But what was he doing in Steve’s bedchambers?

“I didn’t mean because of the injury.” Steve clarified. “We need to be careful that no one catches us.” 

“They won’t.” 

She decided that the voice did in fact belong to Lord Barnes. But then they went silent. A few moments later, she heard movement on the bed. Her heart dropped to her stomach, as she began to realize what was going on. Then, she heard moaning. 

She backed away from the door and walked quickly down the hallway. She stopped at the top of the stairwell, where she sank to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes. She felt hurt and betrayed. And she had so many questions. 

How could Steve do this to her? After everything she had sacrificed for him, this was how he repayed her? By cheating on her in their own home? How long had he been sleeping with Lord Barnes? How had she not known? 

Theirs had never been the most loving marriage. But she had thought he had at least had some affection for her. He had made her his queen, but he had been lying to her for gods knew how long. 

After what seemed like hours, she heard Steve’s door open. Lord Barnes walked out. He turned and headed down the corridor away from her, not noticing her. She thought about going back to her own room, but she knew she couldn’t. She stood up and wiped her tears. She needed to be strong. She needed to confront him. 

Peggy walked to his bedchambers and opened the door without knocking. He was laying in bed, but sat up surprised when she walked in the room. 

“My lady,” he said, sounding slightly panicked. “What are you doing here?”

“You are my husband. I have every right to be in your room.” She replied calmly. “But what was Lord Barnes doing here?”

“We were just discussing battle plans.” Steve told her. 

“Then why did I hear moaning?” 

“Peggy, I…,” he trailed off, abandoning whatever excuse he was about to give her. “I’m sorry.”

“How long have the two of you been sleeping together?” She demanded. 

“Since before we were married.” 

“And how many times has it happened in this castle? In this room?”

“I don’t know. But I don’t think you would want an exact answer to that question even if I could give you one.”

“Do you love him?” She asked quieter. 

Steve sighed.

“I do.” He admitted. “I always have.” 

“I never fooled myself into believing that you loved me, or that I loved you. But I never expected this.”

“I never wanted you to find out.” He told her. “I knew it would only hurt you. I didn’t want that. I may not love you, but I like you. I care about you. And I admire you, both as a person and as a fighter.” 

“I care about you as well. And I admire you. So I don’t know what to do about this. I can’t even hold this against you. You loved him long before you married me. And neither of us ever chose to get married, it was arranged for us. But yet, I want to hold it against you. You cheated on me. You lied to me. You betrayed me. How can I ever trust you again? How can I fight to put a man on the Infinity Throne who could do this to me? How can you expect me to be your queen?”

“I don’t know.” Steve replied. He stood and crossed the room to where she was standing. “I’m sorry.” 

He reached out to take her hand, but she pulled back.

“I need to be alone right now.” She told him.

She turned and left the room. She walked as quickly as she could down to her own bedchambers, where she locked the door behind her and collapsed onto her bed, staring through blurry eyes at the red and white lion of House Carter. Her sigil. Her home. And her reassurance that she could find a way to get through this. 

*****

Phil sat in the solar of The Hub, the castle in Triskelion that had historically belonged to House Fury. Melinda sat by his side. He was slowly adjusting to his new role as Warden of The Shield, but he still missed being at home in the Playground of Zephyr. The capital of the kingdom was a jarring change from the town he was used to. 

Zephyr was a small, neat city. The population was mostly peasants, but there was enough shelter and resources to be able to take care of them, and years of steady rule allowed for peace and order. Triskelion was a far cry from that. Its population was far larger, and it had been without proper rule for so long that any semblance of peace was a long way off. 

Parts of the city were ruins from attacks by Hydra and other rebel groups. Poverty and crime were rampant, especially murders and robberies. Many of the city’s poor lived on the streets, and those who were lucky enough to have a home at all lived in crowded apartment buildings, without enough room for anyone to live comfortably. Orphanages overflowed with children whose parents had been killed or had abandoned them, and the city had many brothels filled with women desperate to make enough money to feed their babies. 

“Gods, I hope I haven’t left Daisy and Jemma with this much of a mess.” Phil remarked. 

He missed his daughters, even Jemma. He hadn’t thought he would miss her as much as Daisy, but he did. Unfortunately, he knew she probably didn’t miss him. Why would she, with the way he had always treated her? 

“You haven’t.” Melinda assured him. “You were a good leader to the people of Tahiti, but now, the rest of the kingdom needs you as well. And it’s Daisy’s turn to step up as Lady of Zephyr. But she’ll be fine. She has Jemma by her side, and a host of other advisors.” 

“It’s wartime, Melinda. Anything could happen. I don’t want Hydra or anyone else to think they can take advantage of us because we’ve left a barely grown woman in charge in Tahiti.”

“With Daisy’s reputation as a sorceress, I wouldn’t be too concerned. She may only be eighteen, but men fear her all across the Four Kingdoms.”

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a knock on the door. 

“Come in,” Phil called. 

A young man walked inside the room, carrying a letter. 

“A raven came for you, my lord.” He told him. “It’s from Lady Daisy in Zephyr.”

“Thank you.” He took the letter, and the young man left.

The letter was sealed with the blue eagle of House Coulson. He found it strange that he received a raven from his daughter in the middle of a conversation about her. But the gods worked in mysterious ways, he supposed. 

_“Dear Father,”_ the letter read. _“I hope things are going well for you in Triskelion. So far, we haven’t any trouble in Zephyr, thank the gods. But my sister and I did receive a strange visitor to the Playground yesterday. Her name is Rosalind Price. She’s from America, and she claims to be an old friend of yours. She also claims to work for a military group planning to take down Hydra. She told us that my skills as a sorceress and Jemma’s as an alchemist captured the attention of her organization, and that they want us to lead their efforts against Hydra. We have discussed the matter at length since her visit, and as of now, we think we would like to accept Rosalind’s offer. However, we wanted to ask your thoughts. If you think it best we refuse, we will heed your advice._

_“I miss you. I love you. We both do._

_“Your daughter,_

_Daisy,”_

“What does it say?” Melinda asked. “Are they alright?”

“They’re fine, I think.” He replied, handing her the letter. 

Her brows furrowed as she read it. 

“Is Rosalind Price who she says she is?” She questioned. “Is she an old friend?”

“She is.” Phil confirmed. There was another question in Melinda’s eyes, but she didn’t ask it, and he didn’t answer. “And I think they should accept her offer.”

He hadn’t seen Rosalind in years, but he trusted her. She was a good woman, and she wouldn’t lead his daughters into a trap. And she was right. Daisy and Jemma would make good leaders in the fight against Hydra. He was worried about their safety, but he was proud of them. Even Jemma. 

“So do I.” Melinda agreed. 

“I’ll write back to them.”

He picked up a piece of paper and a quill, but before he could start his letter, there was another knock at the door.

“Come in,”

The same young man walked in, carrying another letter.

“Another raven came for you, my lord.” He explained. “It’s from Marvel.”

“Looks like I’m an important man.” He smiled and took the letter. “Thank you.”

The boy nodded and left again. 

This letter was sealed with the orange flerken of House Fury, which meant that it could either be from King Nick’s widow, Queen Maria, or his newly crowned successor herself, Queen Carol. Upon opening it, he guessed it was from the latter, as the handwriting was unfamiliar to him. 

_“Dear Lord Coulson,”_ the letter read. _“I am writing to make you a choice. I am well aware that your house has gone to Triskelion to claim the title of Wardens of The Shield, a title that rightfully belongs to House Fury. However, I am willing to make you a deal. I will allow House Coulson to keep your newly claimed position as Lord of Triskelion, on two conditions. The first, is that you will bend the knee and accept me as the rightful Queen of the Four Kingdoms, as well as support me militarily and send your troops whenever the need should arise. I have secured the throne for now, but new challengers will be coming. The second, is that you will travel to Marvel and accept the position of Hand to the Queen. The late king thought highly of you, and I can think of no better man for the job._

_“If you refuse this offer, I will send the full force of my troops to crush your house and reclaim House Fury’s former position as Lords of Triskelion and Wardens of The Shield. The choice is yours._

_“Queen Carol, First of Her Name, Queen of the Four Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm,”_

Phil handed the letter to Melinda.

“I suppose we should have seen this coming.” He remarked. “Queen Carol defeated Lord Rogers in battle and sent him fleeing back to America. Her position on the Infinity Throne is secured, so she’s turning her gaze to her house’s home kingdom, and the house who overthrew their rule. We claimed their power for ourselves, and of course they weren’t going to be happy about that.”

“But we’re also their last possible ally.” She pointed out. “The Asgardians have declared independence, and Lords Rogers and Stark have annoucned their own claims to the throne. We’re the only ruling house who hasn’t declared a side in the war. Not to mention, if she has you in Marvel and your daughters in Zephyr, that leaves only me here in Triskelion, and limits our power here. Phil, this letter could either be a sword or an olive branch. We have no choice but to take the olive branch.”

“You’re right.” He wasn’t keen on the idea of traveling to Marvel, but he had to. He was putting his family and his people in danger if he didn’t. “I guess I have a lot of news to write to Daisy about.” 

*****

Loki walked through the woods behind the Asgardian palace. He needed to clear his head. To get away from the stress that he had been under since Thor left to invade Marvel. 

It had been several days since the Asgardian troops had departed for the capital, and Hela still hadn’t made a move with Hydra. He hadn’t talked to anyone else about his suspicions. He was just waiting anxiously for her to do something, and desperately praying she wouldn’t. Because he didn’t know if they could defeat Hydra if they attacked right now, not with so much of their army gone. 

He walked for well over a mile, without seeing a single other soul in the forest. In fact, it was eerily quiet. People didn’t usually come hiking through these woods, but he usually saw squirrels running up the trees, and heard birds chirping above him. He frequently saw deer, as well as the occasional wolf or bear. But today, there was nothing. Not a sight or sound of any other creature. It almost felt like some kind of omen. Or perhaps it was just the calm before the storm. 

He kept walking, until he heard what sounded like explosions off in the distance, back towards the city. He turned around, and could see far off flames of wildfire. He took off running back to the palace. 

It felt like it took him hours to make it back. Like time was going in slow motion. As he got closer, he could hear screaming and chaos. When he made it inside, there was fighting everywhere, Asgardian guards battling enemies dressed in all black. He knew it was Hydra. The nightmare he’d been having since he saw Hela in the woods was coming true. 

Loki’s first instinct was to find Frigga. He knew she was capable of taking care of herself, but he still felt responsible for protecting her. She had raised him as her own son, when she didn’t have to, and he owed it to her to make sure she was safe.

He fought his way up the staircase, cutting down a few Hydra men along the way. When he made it to the top, he entered the large open room that served as a gathering place for the family. He didn’t see anyone there besides dead Asgardian soldiers and Hydra soldiers standing guard. But behind them, he saw Hela on the balcony with Frigga, holding a dagger to her throat.

He rushed over to them, but the guards stopped him. He began to fight them off, but Hela intervened. 

“Let him through.” She ordered. Her men immediately let go of him. 

He walked out onto the balcony. Over Hela’s shoulder, he could see bright green flames and smoke. It appeared that a large portion of the city had been blown up. Much of it was reduced to rubble. He couldn’t even begin to guess how many thousands of people had just been killed. But right now, he had to tear his eyes away from the destruction. He had to save Frigga. 

“Let her go, Hela.” He demanded.

“You don’t get to order me around.” Hela replied calmly. “No one does. I am the Queen of Asgard.”

“No, you’re not.” He denied. “The people named Thor their king.”

“And now, many of those same people are dead. Burnt to a crisp or crushed underneath the rubble. I am the queen, and I rule not in the name of House Odinson, or Odinsdottir, but in the name of Hydra.”

“Thor will destroy you when he returns.” Loki warned.

“Oh, he won’t be returning.” She replied with a smile. “I’ve made sure of that. And now, dear brother, I must figure out what to do with you. I don’t simply want to kill you, you’re too smart, too useful. But I knew you wouldn’t agree to bend the knee on your own. So now, I’m offering you a choice. Bend the knee and surrender or I’ll cut Mother’s throat.”

“Don’t do it, Loki.” Frigga begged. 

He wanted to respect her wishes, but he didn’t feel as though he really had a choice. He couldn’t let Hela kill her. He just couldn’t.

“I’m sorry.” He told her. 

He sighed quietly in defeat before kneeling before Hela. 

“Good choice.” She smiled. Then, she took the knife and sliced open Frigga’s throat.

Loki instinctively lunged toward Hela.

“How could you?” He screamed. “You promised you would spare her if I bent the knee.”

“And you were foolish and desperate enough to believe me.” She replied calmly. 

“Why would you do this? Why would you kill your own mother?”

“She wouldn’t bend the knee. I killed Father too. I poisoned him. But you already knew that, didn’t you?” She pushed him off of her. “Seize him!”

He lunged for her again, but suddenly, Hydra guards grabbed him and dragged him away. 

“You’re evil! I’ll kill you for this!” He yelled back at her. She just laughed. 

The guards bound his hands and took him down the stairs. A nightmare truly was unfolding in front of him. The tree banners of House Odinson were being taken down, and replaced with the banners of Hydra, a red octopus on a black field. The pure white and shining golds of the palace were now stained with blood, and bodies laid everywhere. 

He tried his best to fight back, but it was no use. He was outnumbered. The soldiers dragged him down to the dungeons, where they threw him in a dark cell. They chained his wrists and ankles so there was no way for him to escape. Then they left and locked the door behind them. 

Loki didn’t know what to do. But he knew he had to do something. Frigga’s death could not go unavenged. He would simply have to come up with a plan and find a way to escape. After all, it would take more than chains to stop an Asgardian sorcerer. Frigga had taught him that much. 

*****

Tony walked into the Sept of Malibu with Pepper, Peter, and Morgan. It was the night before the armies of the Iron Lands were leaving to invade Marvel, and he and his family had gone to the sept to pray to the gods. 

There were nine gods in the Xandarian religion, one to represent Marvel, and two to represent each of the Four Kingdoms. Ædelric Sigeweard, who represented Marvel, was the King of the Gods. He was the ultimate ruler and guardian of the Four Kingdoms, and the king or queen on the Infinity Throne was supposed to emulate him. 

Tæw Rè and Kèt Nawtze were the gods representing the Iron Lands. Tæw Rè was the God of the Desert and Fire. He watched over the desert, and people prayed to him for survival in their harsh climate. He also controlled fires, and was prayed to when people needed to start a fire or put one out. Kèt Nawtze was the Goddess of War and Peace. She was prayed to for victory in battle, and peace when the battle was over. 

The gods representing America were Späthi Mbentûm and Nïnskev Sngäf. Späthi Mbentûm was the God of the Forest and the Earth. He was prayed to for good weather and bountiful hunts and harvests. Nïnskev Sngäf was the Goddess of Creation and Destruction. She was commonly prayed to by builders, inventors, and artists. She was also prayed to during times of war or natural disaster, in the hopes that she would protect their homes from being destroyed.

Fjall Vindr and Elska Hath represented Asgard. Fjall Vindr was the God of the Mountains and Air. The Asgardians prayed to him for survival in their own unforgiving terrain. He was also prayed to when people had to cross over the mountains, and avalanches were considered to be a sign of his wrath. Elska Hath was the Goddess of Love and Hate. She was prayed to during marriage and courting, as well as personal fights and conflicts. 

The final two gods were Ngawjo Doorwahii and Jiin Iitûf, who represented The Shield. Ngawjo Doorwahii was the God of the Jungle and Water. He was prayed to for access to food, water, and shelter, as well as protection against floods. He was also commonly prayed to by people who were drowning. Jiin Iitûf was the Goddess of Life and Death. She was prayed to for health and safety, during childbirth, and by women who were trying to conceive. She was also prayed to when people were dying and at funerals.

It was also customary for people to pray to different gods when they were traveling, based on what direction they were traveling in. If one was traveling north, they would pray to the Gods of Asgard. If they were traveling east, they prayed to the Gods of The Shield. If they were traveling south, they would pray to the Gods of the Iron Lands, and if they were traveling west, they would pray to the Gods of America. 

At the front of the Sept was an altar. It had nine statues in a circle, one of each god. The statue of Ædelric Sigeweard was in the center, with the other eight statues surrounding him. These statues were made of red stone from the desert, but the materials of the statues varied between the septs. In front of each statue was a white candle in a red stone candle holder. Worshipers would light the candles of whichever gods they were praying to.

Tony picked up Morgan so she could help him light the candles for Ædelric Sigeweard and Tæw Rè, while Pepper lit the candles for Kèt Nawtze and Fjall Vindr, and Peter lit the candles for Elska Hath and Jiin Iitûf. When the six candles were lit, they knelt down in front of the altar to pray.

“Ædelric Sigeweard,” Toby began. “We pray that you bless our claim to the Infinity Throne and allow us to rule over your people.”

“Tæw Rè,” Pepper continued. “We pray that you watch over the people of the Iron Lands while we are away, and protect them from dangers, both from the inside and from far away.”

“Kèt Nawtze,” Peter said. “We pray that you grant us swift victory in battle, against the armies of Lord Rogers, Queen Carol, and Hydra, and peace for many years to come after the war is over.”

“Fjall Vindr and Elska Hath,” Morgan spoke up. “We pray that you grant my family a safe journey north to Marvel.”

“Jiin Iitûf,” Tony finished. “We pray that you protect us, our troops, and our people alive and well during the war to come.” 

The four of them stood up and blew out the candles. They left the sept and began the walk back to the Iron Tower. The sept and the castle weren’t far away, and it was a lovely evening for walking. 

It was late when they got back to the tower, so they went up to their chambers to put Morgan to bed. Tony knew this was the last time they would be able to do so before they left for Marvel. He also knew that this could be the last time they would ever be able to do this if things went wrong.

“Will you still be here when I wake up in the morning?” Morgan asked as they tucked her in.

Tony nodded.

“You’ll be able to see us off.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t know, honey.” Pepper replied. “But we’ll come back. Whether we win or lose, we’ll come back.”

“Do you promise?” 

Tony knew they couldn’t really promise her that, but he had no choice but to go along with it. She was a scared little girl, and he needed to put her mind at ease.

“We promise.” He told her. Pepper and Peter both nodded. “Goodnight, Morgan. I love you.”

“Goodnight.” She replied. “I love you too.”

“Goodnight.” Peter echoed. “I love you.”

“Goodnight, honey.” Pepper said. “I love you.”

Tony blew out the candle that was providing light in her bedroom. As they left her room and closed the door behind them, he prayed to the gods that they hadn’t been lying to her when they told her they would come home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll have more soonish, hopefully. Thanks for reading! :)


	8. Sea of Blood

Thor stood on the deck of the ship, looking over the railings at the vast expanse of the Avenger’s Sea, covered by a thick sheet of fog. It was the only thing in sight, and would be for hundreds more miles. The Asgardian troops had been sailing for over a week, and it would still be at least another day or two before they reached the shores of Marvel, depending on how much the fog would slow down their voyage. 

Their attack was well planned out, and they’d refined their battle plans while on the ship. But he was still worried. What if things went wrong? What if they lost? What kind of punishment would Queen Carol impose on the Asgardians if their rebellion failed? Thousands more of his people could die. The same people who had named them their king. They had suffered too much already. He could not lose this war. 

He heard footsteps coming towards him, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Lady Sif walking up to stand beside him. 

“Are you worried?” She asked.

“I am.” He admitted. “I’m more than worried. I’m terrified.”

“So am I.” Sif told him. “But I also have faith in the Gods, and in us. And I believe we can win this war.” 

“So do I. But I still can’t help but fear what might happen if things go wrong.”

“Whatever happens, you’ll lead us through it. I have faith in you. We all do.”

“Thank you.” He replied solemnly. 

They stood on the deck in silence for a while, looking out at the sea. Suddenly, they were interrupted by the sound of a cannon being fired behind them. Thor turned around to see several large warships emerging from the fog in the opposite direction, firing at the Asgardian ships. He looked around and saw ships appearing from all sides. They had been completely surrounded. 

Asgardian troops flooded the decks to man their own cannons, but they were vastly outnumbered. They were being attacked by a naval force so incredibly massive, that Thor couldn’t imagine where they had come from. The Shield had the largest and strongest navy in the Four Kingdoms, but why would they be attacking the Asgardian troops? Had Queen Carol ordered them to put down the rebellion? It was possible, but he had no idea how the queen could have found out about their plans to invade the capital, or even that the Asgardian army was traveling south. His gut told him this was something else. Something far more sinister. 

Men from the enemy ships began to climb their way onto the deck. They wore all black, and their armor had a red octopus on the breast plate. His worst fears were confirmed. This was a Hydra attack. Which meant that Loki had probably been right when he had warned him that Hela was working with Hydra. 

Thor raised Mjølnir and Lady Sif drew her sword. Lady Valkyrie, Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg were all on other ships. He had no way of knowing for sure, but he guessed that they were all just as badly outnumbered on their ships as he and Sif were on theirs. Even with nearly a thousand Asgardian men on this ship, they were still overwhelmed by the sheer number of Hydra soldiers. He couldn’t even begin to guess where Hydra had even recruited this many members. 

The decks were crowded with battling men. Cannon balls were fired onto the ship, hitting people as well as parts of the ship, and men from both sides began to fall around him. It was almost as though Hydra didn’t care that they were killing their own, as long as they were killing the Asgardians. 

He and Lady Sif had gotten separated in the crowd, but he could still see her. She was a better fighter than any of Hydra’s men, and she managed to kill every single one that attacked her. He watched her shove her sword in a gap in a man’s armor, stabbing him right through the stomach and out the other side. But suddenly, a cannon ball came flying towards them, knocking the man’s head off before taking hers as well. 

“Sif!” He cried out, pushing his way through the masses and running to where she had fallen. 

The battle still raged on around him, but he no longer noticed it or cared. Lady Sif had been one of his closest and dearest friends for as long as he could remember. And now, her head rolled at his feet, brown eyes still open, but seeing nothing. 

Thor felt a sword stab his arm. He swung his hammer and knocked down the attacker, hardly even seeing him through his tears. He moved with the crowd away from Sif’s body. He attacked every Hydra soldier in reach, a wave of rage and grief washing over him. He managed to kill every enemy man he battled with. But in his anger, he wasn’t paying attention to the direction he was traveling in, and suddenly, he was thrown overboard. 

He was weighed down by his armor, and he had to drop his hammer to stay afloat. He desperately tried to swim to another ship, but from the water, he couldn’t tell which ships carried the white sails of Asgard, and which flew the black sails of Hydra. He was struggling, and he couldn’t tell which direction he was swimming in. 

Suddenly, he heard explosions around him. He looked up to see several ships going up in the green flames of wildfire. He tried desperately to swim away, but he couldn’t get far. His armor was too heavy, and he was too tired. He couldn’t even think straight anymore. His only instinct now was to find a way to survive. 

He found a piece of a ship floating in the sea, and swam towards it. He managed to grab it and climb on top of it, using it as a raft. He was so exhausted that he couldn’t do anything but lay down and pray that the gods would take him away from here, and that some of his people would live to fight another day. 

*****

Peter looked down at his new armor. It was red and gold like his father’s, but it was much lighter weight, and would be far easier for him to run and climb in. The breastplate had a gold spider on it, instead of the usual phoenix of House Stark. The sword he wore at his waist was Pazìlish steel with a gold hilt. It looked just like his father’s, but it was smaller and easier for him to carry. 

But the best part of the armor was the gauntlets on the arms. They were gold, with a button in the palm that shot spider-like webs when he pressed it. He, his father, and Maester Happy had all helped the master of arms make them, and they had turned out better than Peter had even imagined. 

He was on the main deck of the ship, training by himself. They were on their way to Marvel to take the Infinity Throne. Peter was excited about helping win the throne for his house and his family. But he was also extremely terrified. He had never fought in a real battle before. He had never had to kill another person before. And he knew that when they landed in the capital, he would have to. 

Peter shot a web onto one of the upper decks and swung himself up on it, landing perfectly in a crouching position. He had been constantly practicing with the webs, and had come up with several ways to use them. 

He stood up and drew his sword, swinging it at an invisible enemy. He carried on like this, swinging around the decks and railings with his webs and practicing his sword fighting, until Father approached him from behind and he almost took his head off. 

“Peter, I appreciate your dedication and enthusiasm, but I think you should call it a day before you hurt someone.” He put his hand on his shoulder. “Come on, it’s time for supper.” 

Peter nodded and followed his father down to their living quarters, although he wasn’t particularly looking forward to the meal. The food on the ship wasn’t awful, it was a lot of preserved vegetables and salted meats, but it wasn’t nearly as flavorful as the food back home. 

  
  


He sat down at the table with Mother and Father. Morgan had stayed in Malibu, where she was being looked after by Maester Happy, as she was far too young to go to war. 

The three of them ate mostly in silence. The mood on the ship had been somber. Everyone was fearful of what could happen when they landed in Marvel, or what could happen while they were still at sea. His parents had put on brave, determined faces for their people, but he could see that even they were nervous. They would be fools not to be. Queen Carol’s forces were powerful, and they had already crushed the armies of America. 

While they ate, it started to rain. It started off light, but it quickly grew into a downpour. By the time they were finished, Peter could hear the cracks of thunder outside. No one else seemed particularly concerned, they were afraid of dangers far worse than a storm. But he could feel that something was wrong. The hairs on his arms stood up. This was no ordinary storm. 

“Should we be worried about this?” He asked. 

“It’s just a storm, Peter.” Father assured him. “It isn’t even that strong. We’ll be fine.”

He tried to convince himself that his father was right as he went to the small room that served as his bedchambers on the ship. He sat down on the bed and picked up the book he had been reading. Maester Happy had given it to him before they left. It was about the history of dragons. According to legend, House Potts used to have dragons hundreds of years ago, which was why they chose the dragon for their sigil. 

He tried to keep his mind off the storm while he read his book, but he couldn’t. The storm was only getting stronger. The rain was harder than ever, and the thunder was louder than any he had ever heard before. He could see bright flashes of lightning through the tiny window of the room. He couldn’t distract himself. He couldn’t ignore it. Something was wrong here. 

As the evening went on, the storm kept getting stronger. Waves were now rocking the boat in a way that was starting to make him seasick. He tried to get up and grab the chamber pot to throw up in, but he fell over and dropped it. He tried to stand up again, but the movement of the ship threw him back down. He ended up vomiting on the floor. He thought about trying to get back in bed, but instead, he just laid on the wooden floor and let the movement of the waves roll him around. 

After several terrifying hours, the storm finally died down. The ship stopped rocking, and the rain had calmed to a soft drizzle. He finally stood up and crossed the room to his bed, where he laid down and passed out. 

The next morning, he awoke to sunlight shining through his tiny window. He got out of bed and went up to the main deck, where he found Mother and Father. They were staring over the railings. He walked up beside them and saw what they were staring at. 

The ship was nearing a large mass of land. Peter furrowed his brows in confusion. They weren’t supposed to reach Marvel for several more days. But as he stared at it, he realized that couldn’t be the capital. Marvel was an island city, but not a tropical one. The land that was in front of him now didn’t look like a city, and it didn’t look anything like the kind of terrain Marvel had. In fact, it didn’t appear to be an island at all. 

“Where are we?” He asked. 

“We’re not sure.” Mother replied. “The storm must have blown us off course.”

As they got closer to landing, he could see the land better. It appeared to be a tropical jungle, like the kind of environment found in The Shield. Perhaps they were landing on The Widow Lands, or Tahiti. The only other island in The Shield large enough was Hala, but they surely couldn’t be that far north. 

Eventually, the ship landed safely on the shore. The beach appeared to be on the outskirts of a village, and people came running towards the ship. Mother, Father, and their bannermen disembarked from the ship, and Peter followed them onto the beach.

His theory that they were in The Shield was quickly disproved. The people here dressed nothing like any Xandarians, and the language they were speaking was completely unfamiliar to him. One of the local men walked up to them. 

“Who are you?” He demanded in the Common Tongue. 

“I am Lord Tony Stark of the Iron Lands, and this is my wife Lady Pepper, and our son Peter.” Father answered. “We were sailing for Marvel, but we got caught in a storm last night, and we landed here instead.”

“I am M’baku, leader of the Jabari Tribe.” The man answered. “Welcome to Wakanda.”

*****

Daisy sat in the solar with Jemma. She read the letter from Father in shock. She handed the letter to her sister, almost unable to believe it.

“Queen Carol really named Father Hand to the Queen.” Daisy stated the obvious, not sure what else to say about it. 

“Are we meant to take this as an honor or a threat?” Jemma questioned when she finished reading the letter. 

“Both, I think.” She replied. “She’s sending a message.”

“Hand to the Queen is an incredible honor, but she’s also splitting our family apart even further.” Jemma nodded in agreement. “Not to mention she’s leaving us no choice but to bend the knee unless we want our house to be obliterated.”

“I’m scared.” Daisy confessed. “Triskelion is far, but it’s still in the kingdom. Marvel is all the way across the Avengers Sea.”

“Technically, Marvel is only halfway across the sea.” Jemma corrected her. Daisy shot her sister an annoyed glare. 

“My point is, I’ve never been this far away from Father before.” She explained. “He’s always been there for me, but he isn’t anymore. Our family is being scattered to the winds, and I can’t help but worry. What if gods forbid something happens to Father and we can’t be there to help him? What if something happens to Mother and I have to go become the acting Lady of Triskelion? What if something happens to you and I have to do this alone?”

Jemma reached out and took her sister’s hands in her own. 

“Daisy, I know I can’t speak for the actions of other people. I know we can’t know what other people will do. But I promise you that I will never leave you. I will always be by your side, no matter what happens. You’re my sister, and you mean the world to me.”

Daisy pulled her sister into a hug. A tear fell from her eye.

“I love you.” She told her. 

“I love you too.” 

Suddenly, Daisy heard commotion outside the castle, and the room was filled with the sounds of far off screams.

“What the hell is going on?” Daisy asked. 

“I have no idea.”

The two sisters rushed out of the room and ran outside into the courtyard. Knights and soldiers were running out of the gates to the city. Daisy and Jemma followed them. When they reached the Sept of Zephyr in the city center, they both froze in shock and horror. 

In front of them was a sea of blood and chaos. Innocent civilians, men, women, and children alike, were being slaughtered in the streets by masked men wearing all black. They were Hydra. They had to be. Daisy and Jemma ran into the crowd. 

“Xoogù ngaw teed̀de!”  _ Help these people!  _ Jemma ordered. “Saa z̀uuʄ pøjjo ʄo nawʄaaw!”  _ Get the injured to safety! _

The Zephyrian soldiers followed her command, and began to help civilians who had been hurt, but were still alive. Jemma helped guide them away from the chaos, to an area where she could treat their wounds. Meanwhile, Daisy joined the fight to defeat the Hydra attackers. 

She quaked several, who flew backwards and hit the ground before they even had time to react. She picked up one of their swords and began to fight with that as well. She wasn’t the most experienced swordswoman, but she knew how to use one. 

Eventually, she found Lance Hunter in the crowd. He was fighting alongside Alfonso Mackenzie and Elena Rodriguez. She watched as Elena raised her sword to charge at a group of Hydra men. Without ever visibly moving, all five men were dead on the ground, and she was back where she had been originally standing. Of course, she had moved, but she had moved far too fast for anyone to see.

Suddenly, she saw three men running towards the three knights. Daisy was able to quake two of them in time to stop them, but the third reached Hunter before she could do anything about it. The man’s sword went straight through his stomach, and blood spluttered from his mouth as he fell to his knees. 

“Hunter!” Daisy screamed as she ran towards him. 

She ran her sword through the back of the man who’d slain him. She exchanged grief-stricken glances with Mack and Elena, but they knew they had no time to dwell on it. They could mourn their friend later. Right now, they needed to defeat Hydra. 

Soon, another man appeared beside her, a sword in his hand. He was a tall, young man, dressed in simple peasant clothes. 

“Who are you?” She demanded. “And where did you get that sword?” 

“I picked it off of some dead Hydra soldier.” He explained. “I have some experience fighting, so I thought I could help beat these scumbags.”   
  


She thought it was odd for a civilian to want to join the fight, but she didn’t have time to question him further. So she allowed him to fight beside her. 

Eventually, the fighting died down. Most of the Hydra attackers had been killed, and the rest were fleeing the battlefield. Soldiers cut them down as they ran. They would leave no heads to grow back from this battle. 

Daisy looked around and saw piles of bodies laying in what seemed like an endless pool of blood. Soldiers from both sides lay dead, along with hundreds of poor, defenseless Zephyrian citizens. 

She walked through the streets, looking for her sister. Eventually she found her, tucked away in a small blacksmith’s shop, tending to the injured. A few soldiers stood guard around her. 

“Jemma, thank the gods you’re alright.” Daisy remarked as she knelt down beside her. 

“Of course I’m alright.” Jemma replied. “You were the one in danger. Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“Who’s that man?” Her sister asked. “Is he injured?”

She turned around to see that the strange man from the battle had followed her. 

“My name is Grant Ward.” He introduced himself. 

“He’s a brave peasant man who joined the battle.” Daisy explained, standing up to shake his hand. “I’m Daisy Coulson, and this is my sister, Jemma Rain.”

“I’d shake your hand, but I’m a little busy at the moment.” Jemma told Grant. 

“Lovely to meet you.” He replied with a smile. “Your names sound familiar. You’re Lord Coulson’s daughters, aren’t you?”

“We are.” She nodded. “And as acting Lady of Zephyr, I think that your courage should be rewarded. How would you like to join us tonight for supper at the Playground?”

“I-I would love that.” He seemed taken aback. “Thank you so much.”

“Thank you for your help.” She replied. She turned around to face the soldiers who had been helping Jemma. “And I would like to extend the invitation to all of you as well. Many more people could have died had it not been for you.”

The mood was somber when they eventually made their way back to the castle. Hundreds of people had been slaughtered today. The very people she was supposed to protect. As powerful as she was, she was still powerless to prevent tragedies like this from happening. And she felt responsible for not stopping Hydra sooner. The weight of the dead would forever rest on her shoulders. 

She knew that the lordship of Zephyr would be a heavy burden to carry. And she knew that she would never be able to carry it alone. 

*****

Steve stood at the front of the Great Hall of Brooklyn Castle. He had called his bannermen and some of their troops for a meeting before they began their journey to the Wildlands. They were leaving first thing in the morning. 

Peggy stood beside him, but she wasn’t speaking to him. She had mostly avoided him since she caught him with Bucky. He felt awful about the whole situation, but he didn’t know what to do about it. 

He had no idea how he could make this right without ending his relationship with Bucky. And he didn’t want to do that. He loved Bucky more than anything. But he didn’t know how to tell his wife that without hurting her more than he already had. So he just let her keep her distance. If she wanted to come to him, she would.

He turned to look at her, and she just stared back at him blankly, waiting for him to start his speech. 

“Our first campaign for the Infinity Throne was poorly planned.” He began. “But we cannot fail again. We must be better prepared for the force we are going up against. Queen Carol is incredibly powerful, and her forces are some of the best in the realm. She has rallied House Coulson and the other armies of The Shield to her cause as well, which means that we’ll be waging war against an even larger force. We need allies if we are going to defeat them. 

“As you all know, we will be leaving in the morning to travel to the southern coast of America. From there, we will be heading for the Wildlands. It may not be safe sailing. The waters of the Morag Sea are dangerous, and in order to reach our destination, we will have to pass the borders of the Iron Lands. It is very possible that their navy could attack our ships, or that we could be intercepted by Hydra, or the queen’s forces. We might even face military opposition when we arrive. The people of the Wildlands are not known for being particularly friendly to uninvited guests. But we have few remaining options for allies, and as the Wildlanders have no existing alliances within the Four Kingdoms, they might be our best hope. 

“They have a strong military, and like Queen Carol, they have the benefit of sorcery on their side. If we could rally them to our cause, House Fury would never be able to properly prepare a defense against them, if they even found out we had made an alliance, which we do not intend for them to.

“After we leave the Wildlands, we will sail for Wakanda, on the west coast of Sakaar. The Wakandans have always been an isolated nation, and like the Wildlands, have never made an alliance with any of the Four Kingdoms. But they have an incredibly strong army, as well as an abundance of vibranium, which we can use for weapons and armor. 

“Obviously, we cannot sail to The Shield for help, and now we cannot search for allies in Asgard either, as it has been taken over by Hydra. But with both the Wildlanders and the Wakandans on our side, we should have an army more than strong enough to defeat Queen Carol and her troops. 

“This campaign will not be easy, but I am confident that it will be successful. And when I sit on the Infinity Throne, I will make sure you are all handsomely rewarded for your loyalty. I will be king, and Lady Margaret will be my queen, and together, we will lead the Four Kingdoms of Asgard into a time of peace and prosperity like it has never seen before.”

When he was finished with his speech, his bannermen and their troops stood and cheered. 

“Pflunggo käblo Slekï Yüjûj j́i Sbäsaw Mesäd!”  _ Long live King Steve and Queen Margaret! _ Lord Wilson shouted. The troops took up the cry. 

After the troops and bannermen left the Great Hall, he and Peggy headed up to their chambers, for one final night’s sleep before the long journey ahead of them. When they reached the top of the stairwell, he expected them to go their separate ways. Instead, she stopped him.

“Steve,” she paused. He expected her to say something about Bucky, but she didn’t. “I hope you’re making the right decision.”

“What do you mean?”

“I know you know this will be a dangerous voyage.” She explained. “But do you realize how dangerous? We will be sailing in enemy waters almost the entire journey. To sail to the Wildlands, we’ll have to pass the Iron Lands, and to get from the Wildlands to Wakanda, we’ll have to sail in between Marvel and the Iron Lands. Then, we’ll have to pass The Shield before we reach Marvel. And there’s no guarantee the Wildlanders or the Wakandans will even agree to an alliance with us. If things go south, and we get attacked by an opposing navy, or gods forbid Hydra, you could lose more men on this voyage than you gain.”

“I know.” Steve nodded. “But what other choice do we have?”

“Stay here and keep our people safe.” Peggy replied. 

“You really don’t support my claim to the throne, do you?”

“I understand why you want to be king. And I will always support you. I’m your wife. I just don’t think you understand what you’re asking for.”

“I know exactly what I’m asking for.” He shot back. 

Steve turned around and walked to his room, closing the door behind him. Then he undressed and climbed into bed.

But he couldn’t fall asleep. He just laid there awake, thinking about what his wife had said. He couldn’t help but fear that Peggy had been right. What if his actions were ultimately doing more harm than good? What if the best thing he could do for his people was to stay home?

He shook the thought from his mind and closed his eyes. He was doing the right thing, he had to be. 

As he finally drifted off to sleep, he heard the voices of his troops in his mind again.

“Pflunggo käblo Slekï Yüjûj j́i Sbäsaw Mesäd!”  _ Long live King Steve and Queen Margaret!  _ “Pflunggo käblo zek Detgi!”  _ Long live the Americans!  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll have more soonish. Thanks for reading! :)


	9. Be Prepared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to write this chapter. I was having trouble getting motivated to write for a few weeks.

Jemma laid in bed with Fitz, who had arrived in Zephyr the day after the Hydra attack. He had been in Hala, working with some other inventors, but he had returned back to Tahiti, the island he now considered his home. 

A few days had passed since he came home. She was relieved to have him back. She did her best to advise Daisy, but it was difficult, especially when they never knew what might happen next. Not only was there a complicated civil war going on, but Hydra could strike again at any moment. There were so many threats that they had to protect their people from. 

“How are we going to get through this?” She thought out loud.

“I don’t know.” Fitz answered. “But we will. We’ll get through this together. We always do.”

”Pǔp rujfet.”  _ I love you.  _ Jemma told him. 

“Pǔp rujfet uukta.”  _ I love you too.  _

She wanted to lay there with him in peace and quiet forever. But eventually, there was a knock on the door.

“It’s time to get up, lovebirds.” Daisy called. “We have a meeting with Rosalind this morning.”

“We’ll be down in a minute.” Jemma called back.

Normally, it would be Jemma telling Daisy to get up, but since Fitz had returned, she was finding it harder to get out of bed in the morning. She had missed him so much. And she wanted nothing more than to lay with him forever. But of course she couldn’t. They had an important meeting to attend. 

When she and Fitz finally made it down to the cabinet where the meeting with Rosalind was being held, everyone else was already there. Daisy sat at the head of the table, and Rosalind sat to the left of her. A man Jemma didn’t recognize sat next to Rosalind.

Jemma took her seat at Daisy’s right, and Fitz sat down next to her. 

“Nice of you two to finally join us.” Daisy teased. 

“It’s lovely to see you again, Lady Jemma.” Rosalind remarked. “And who is this young man?”

“I’m Leopold Fitz.” He introduced himself. “I’m Jemma’s betrothed. Daisy invited me because she thought I might be able to help. I’m an inventor.”

“We could always use another brilliant mind in the fight against Hydra.” She replied. “And congratulations on the engagement.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed I brought a guest of my own.” She gestures to the man beside her. “This is Luther Banks. He’s my right hand.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” Luther said. 

“Shall we begin?” Daisy asked. 

Rosalind nodded. 

“I would like to start this meeting off by saying that I am so sorry about what Hydra has done to your beautiful city.” She told them. “We do have spies inside Hydra who work hard to give us knowledge of their plans. Unfortunately, Hydra is the kind of organization who will kill someone if they even suspect them of being an informant, which makes it difficult to stay informed. If we had known what Hydra was planning, we would have done everything in our power to stop it.” 

“Then we’re just going to have to work harder to prevent the next tragedy.” Daisy replied resolutely. “Hydra will not kill another innocent man, woman, or child if I have the power to stop it.”

“Please, my lady, do not put the blame for this on yourself.” Rosalind told her. “There was nothing you could have done to stop it. You didn’t know, and there was no way you could have. You did everything you could to take them down, and without your actions, thousands more would have been killed.”

“But Hydra still massacred hundreds of people. They killed my friend. Lance Hunter was a Knight of The Shield, one of the best, and those bastards murdered him.”

“That isn’t your fault.” Jemma reminded her. “We’re all upset about what happened, but blaming ourselves won’t do anything to defeat Hydra.”

She knew Hunter had been killed in front of Daisy. And she knew her sister thought she should have been able to save him. 

“So how can we stop them?” Daisy asked. “What’s the plan?”

“First, we need to figure out exactly where they are and what they plan to do next.” Rosalind explained. “Hydra has branches in all Four Kingdoms and in the capital. The mission of our organization is to defeat Hydra as a whole, but you will obviously be focusing on the branch in The Shield. They have men on Hala and Tahiti, as well as in The Widow Lands and on several of The Arrow Islands. But it’s hard to track the movements of such a well-hidden organization, especially when every time we receive reliable information, the informant ends up dead. Which is where you come in. 

“We need you to hunt them down and figure out how to take them down. Watch them, figure out how they operate and where they plan to strike next. You have to be well prepared when you finally attack them. If you’re not, they’ll win. This is a job for your best minds and fighters. Put together a team of good, trustworthy men and women. You know your people better than I do, and I trust your judgement. Is your mother trustworthy?”

“Of course.” Daisy and Jemma replied in unison. 

“Send her a raven and ask her to do the same.” Rosalind ordered. “Send ravens to Lord Barton and Lady Romanoff as well, if you think you can trust them.” 

“Absolutely.” They both nodded. 

After the meeting was over, Rosalind and Luther left the Playground, and Jemma and Fitz followed Daisy up to their chambers. 

“We need to tell Mack and Elena what’s going on.” Daisy said as they walked up the stairs. 

“Of course.” Jemma nodded. “They would be perfect choices for our team. And they would be able to choose some of their best men to join us.” 

“Can you go find them and let them know?” She requested. “I invited Grant here. I was going to show him the gardens.”

“Who the hell is Grant?” Fitz asked.

“A random civilian who helped out during the attack.” Jemma explained. “I think Daisy is interested in him.”

“I am not.” She protested. “We’re just friends.”

“For now.” 

Daisy rolled her eyes. 

“Shut up and go do what I told you to.” 

“Yes, my lady.”

*****

Peggy sat at the table in her chambers on the ship, reading a book about the Wildlands. She was researching the history and culture of the country, as well as learning a bit of their language, Lawlēblan. She wanted them to make the best impression possible on the queen and her consort, and she knew that Steve wouldn’t do the research on his own. 

The Wildlands were known as Ūtāt Kêsh in their native language. The country was located just south of The Iron lands, and was ruled by Queen Hope van Dyne and her husband, Prince Scott Lang, called Kof Nakê Ronta and Tō’Droli’Wrūkto. For hundreds of years, the Wildlands had been little more than a group of warring tribes in the Vormirian desert. But that had changed forty years ago, when Hank Pym and his wife Janet van Dyne, the leaders of a tribe known as Kwa’Xūan, or the Ant Men, rose up and conquered the other tribes, bringing them under their rule. 

The Kwa’Xūan believed that their gods were physically present in the land around them, and manifested themselves in the form of bugs. Apparently, it had been these strange religious beliefs that had allowed the tribe to take control of the country. According to legend, the leaders of the tribe are given the ability to control ants by the gods, as well as the capability to shrink down to the size of an ant, or even to fly. Queen Hope herself was said to have wings like that of a wasp, just like her mother had. 

A commonality among the tribes of the Wildlands was that they were all matriarchal societies. Women ranked higher than men. A woman didn’t take her husband’s last name, nor did the husband take hers. Children took the last name of the mother, although the father’s last name was commonly given as a middle name. So when the Kwa’Xūan took over, Janet van Dyne and Hank Pym became known as Law’Ronta and Flanho’Wrūkto, or Queen Janet and Prince Henry. They were commonly referred to as “fli Kolībto’Ronta” and “fli Kwa’Wrūkto,” the Wasp Queen and the Ant Prince. 

Peggy heard footsteps approaching her, and she knew without looking up that they belonged to Steve and Lord Wilson. 

“Kwofā,” she greeted them in Lawlēblan. 

“Learning about the Wildlands, I see.” Steve remarked as he sat down across from her. 

“I am.” She nodded. “And you should be too.”

“I have been. They're a very interesting group of people.”

“Oh, really?” She raised an eyebrow. “Tell me one interesting thing you’ve learned about them.”

“They think their gods live in bugs.”

“Only some of them believe that.” Peggy corrected. “There are several other religions practiced in the country.”

“The leaders believe that, and they’re who we’re meeting.” 

“Why do they worship bugs?” Lord Wilson questioned. “Why couldn’t they worship gods that live in the trees or something?”

“A lot of bugs do live in trees.” Steve pointed out. 

“All I’m saying is that I’m not looking forward to dealing with an army of ants all the time.”

“If you have this attitude when we meet them, you won’t have to.” Peggy retorted. 

“Lord Wilson, could I have a moment alone with my wife?” Steve asked.

“Of course, your grace.” 

Lord Wilson got up and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

“I know you’re mad at me.” Steve said. “I understand why. You have every right to be. But we have to be able to put on a united front. How are the Wildlanders going to take us for a king and a queen if we can’t even speak to each other?”

“They may not take you for a king at all.” She shot back. “There are no kings in the Wildlands. Women rank higher than men. Husbands are expected to treat their wives with respect.”

“Peggy, I’m sorry.” He told her. “You don’t deserve what I did to you.”

“I know.”

He sighed. 

“What is it going to take for me to be able to make this up to you?” He asked. “I’ll end things with Bucky if you want me to.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.” She replied. “All I ask is that you be honest with me, and treat me with the respect that I deserve.” 

“I can do that.”

“Can you? Because the past eight years say otherwise.” 

“I can.” He insisted. “I care about you. I need you. I know I haven’t done the best job of letting you know that, but I do. I need you now more than ever. You are my queen. I won’t be able to do any of this without you.” 

She was struck by the sincerity of his voice, even though she wasn’t yet sure if she could believe his words. But they were interrupted before she could respond. It was Lord Wilson again. 

“Ser Philips would like to speak with you, your grace.” 

“Tell him to come down here.” Steve instructed.

“He asked to speak with you in private.”

“It doesn’t get more private than my chambers.” He pointed out. “Whatever he has to say, he can say in front of his queen. Gods know he likes her more than me anyway.”

“I will send him down here then.”

Peggy turned back to her book while she waited for the Commander of the Knights of America to join them.

“Perhaps you could give me a lesson or two in Lawlēblan.” He suggested. 

“Āxūmō.”  _ Of course.  _

“What?” He asked, confused. 

“Fla’lī kod īr.”  _ I’ll explain later. _

“Well, at least one of us has the language down.” 

“I’ll teach you later.” She promised. “I’ll teach you about the culture, too, lest you accidentally offend someone.”

“I would appreciate that.” He smiled. “Thank you.”

She knew this wouldn’t last long, but they were getting along for the first time maybe ever. Perhaps they could actually make their marriage work. Or at least make the appearance that it worked. After all, she was his queen.

*****

Pepper followed M’Baku and some other members of the Jabari Tribe through the jungle with Tony, Peter, and their bannermen. They were headed to Birnin Zana, the capital city, to meet King T’Challa. Their troops were staying back in the village where their ship had landed. 

They had been traveling for over a day now, but according to M’Baku, it wouldn’t be much longer until they reached their destination. She imagined she would be exhausted from all this walking if not for the added stamina her powers provided her. She found she didn’t mind the journey so much. The jungle was beautiful, and the plants and animals she saw were unlike anything she had ever seen before. She had never really known anything but the desert landscape of her home kingdom. 

“We’re almost there.” M’Baku announced.

Pepper looked ahead and saw something new on the horizon. It was a sprawling, vibrant city unlike any she had ever been to. She had read about Wakanda before, but she never thought she would get to see it in person. She had always been fascinated by the people and the culture. It felt almost surreal to be surrounded by it as she walked into the incredible city of Birnin Zana. 

As they walked through the streets, she saw local people selling fruits and handmade items from carts. People wore colorful clothing of all kinds and styles, and chatted happily in Xhosa, the language of Wakanda. It was a stark contrast to the crowded cities of the Four Kingdoms, which were currently brimming with fear and unrest.

The Wakandan citizens eyed the group of foreigners with suspicion, but Pepper didn’t feel that they were in danger. The people here were mostly peaceful, they were simply distrustful of the outside world. For the most part, they lived in their own bubble. A paradise separated from the war and chaos of other countries. 

M’Baku led them to a grand, intricately designed building in the center of the city, that served as the center of government, as well as the home of the royal family. It could certainly be called a palace, but it was nothing like the traditional stone and brick castles of the Four Kingdoms. It was made of vibranium, as well as other metals and materials she didn’t recognize. It was uniquely Wakandan, and it was incredible.

“This is an amazing feat of architecture.” Tony remarked. “This whole city is amazing.”

“It is.” She agreed. 

Two female guards with shaved heads stood at the gates, dressed in red and gold and armed with spears. Pepper knew they must be from the Dora Milaje, an elite group of female warriors charged with protecting the king. 

“Uzise bani apha?” One guard demanded. 

“Le nguTony, Pepper, kunye noPeter weNdlu Stark, kunye namanye amadoda abo avela kwi-Iron Lands.” M’Baku replied. 

“Kutheni uzise abasemzini kwidolophu yethu enkulu?”

“Inqanawa yabo yafika elunxwemeni kwilali yam emva kokuba bevuthuzwe sisiphango.” 

“Kwaye baneshishini lini uKing T’Challa? Kutheni le nto ungabakhathalelanga kwilali yakho ubathume?”

“Banesiphakamiso sokuba inkosi iya kufuna ukuva, kunye nesilumkiso.” 

“Ukuba uyanyanzelisa, banokungena.”

M’Baku turned to them and nodded, and they followed him through the gates. 

“Mogb nène vaw̃ wer?”  _ What did they say?  _ Peter asked. 

“Taw̃ nè et nĩli.”  _ I don’t know.  _ Tony replied. 

“She simply asked who you were and why I had brought you here.” M’Baku explained. “I told her you had an urgent message for King T’Challa.”

“You speak Pazìlish?” Tony asked, sounding surprised. 

“The people of the Jabari tribe know many languages.” He answered. “It comes in handy when travelers such as yourselves wash up on our shores.” 

Two more guards from the Dora Milaje stood at the door of the palace. 

“Ndingu-M’Baku waseJabari.” He told them. “Ndithatha aba batyeleli ukuya kubona inkosi.” 

They nodded and M’Baku led them inside. They followed him up a beautiful vibranium staircase. At the top of the stairs, there was a grand door that she assumed led to the throne room. He spoke to the guards in Xhosa, and they nodded and let them in.

When the doors opened, she saw King T’Challa, a young man dressed in elaborate black robes, talking to a young woman, and another member of the Dora Milaje. They turned to face them when they walked inside. 

“M’Baku, what brings you to Birnin Zana?” King T’Challa asked. “Who have you brought with you?”

“They are from the Four Kingdoms. Their ship was blown off course by a storm and they landed here. But they have a matter that they would like to discuss with you while you are here.”

He motioned to Tony to speak.

“I am Tony Stark, Lord of the Iron Lands. This is my wife, Pepper, and our son, Peter, as well as a few of our most trusted men, Lords James Rhodes, Stephen Strange, and William Potts.” Tony told him, with a slight bow. “It is an honor to meet you, your grace.”

“There is no need for such formalities. You can call me T’Challa if you like.” He turned to the two women next to him. “This is my younger sister, Princess Shuri, and Okoye, the General of the Dora Milaje.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.” Pepper told them.

“So, why have you come all the way to Birnin Zana?” T’Challa asked them. 

“As you may know, the Four Kingdoms recently descended into a violent civil war. In Marvel is a queen with no claim to the throne, and the Lord from America who is trying to overthrow her is even worse. The kingdom of Asgard has even tried to declare its independence. And in the midst of all of this, a dangerous group called Hydra has risen up to take over. Thousands of Xandarian lives have already been lost. These wars must come to an end soon, or the Four Kingdoms will be destroyed.”

“And let me guess, you want the Wakandans to join your side and help put you and your wife on the throne.” T’Challa replied. “We hardly know you well enough to accept your offer, however, the Four Kingdoms are indeed in a dire situation.”

“It’s against tradition for Wakanda to get involved in foreign wars.” Okoye pointed out. “We cannot help them.”

“But someone must.” Shuri argued. “Why shouldn’t it be us?”

“I cannot accept your proposal right now. But I will not refuse it either.” He told them. “I will allow you all to stay in the capital for a few weeks. You and your troops will be provided for, and I will get to know you. If I decide you are suitable rulers, Wakanda will ally itself with the Iron Lands.”

“Thank you.”

*****

Loki sat alone in a dark, dirty cell. Somewhere else, he could hear the screams of another prisoner being tortured by Hydra for information. He had walked through the dungeons of the Asgardian Palace many times during his childhood, but he never imagined he would be locked up down here. 

He hadn’t seen anyone since he’d been taken down here except the occasional Hydra guard walking by. He had nothing to do but sit on the ground and stare. But that was fine with him. It gave him time to plan how he would avenge Father and Frigga once he escaped. 

He heard footsteps approaching his cell. He expected it to be a guard coming to give him his daily rationing of food. It was never much, but at least Hydra didn’t let their prisoners starve completely. But when the door opened, it wasn’t a guard that stepped inside. It was Hela.

“What are you doing here?” He asked. 

“I have some important news for you.” Hela explained with an evil smile. “Our dear brother’s fleet was attacked a few days ago by Hydra. Their ships were surrounded, and our men were able to invade their ships. Those who weren’t killed in the ensuing melee were killed by canon balls or wildfire. There were no survivors. Not even Thor.”

“No.” Loki shook his head. “That’s not possible. Thor can’t be dead.”

How was he the only member of their family that Hela hadn’t killed? Why had she kept him alive? She had killed her parents and one brother, as well as thousands of her own people. Why would she hesitate to kill him too? What did she want him for?

“It’s true, Loki.” She said tauntingly. “The rest of our family is dead. It’s just you and me now.”

“Why haven’t you killed me yet?” 

“Would you like me to?” He didn’t answer. “I’ll take that as a yes. But it doesn’t matter. I will not kill you. You are too useful to me. Besides, you were never a real member of our family anyway.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“You can figure that out on your own.” She replied. “You were always smarter than the rest of us.”

Hela turned and left his cell without another word, locking the door behind her. He was almost numb with shock. Part of him wanted to keep sitting on the floor and let grief overtake him. But he didn’t have time for that anymore. 

He had been waiting for the right moment to escape. But the time for waiting was over. He had to get out of this cell now. He had to avenge his family. Hela had poisoned Odin. She had slit Frigga’s throat. And now she had blown up Thor’s ships. But he would make sure she died a death far more painful than any of theirs. 

Loki closed his eyes and focused on what he wanted to do. He felt himself shapeshifting from a human into a snake. It was a trick he had figured out during childhood. He used to use it to pull pranks on Thor. In his snake form, he could easily slither out of his chains and between the bars of the cell.

When he was out of the cell, he slithered in the shadows by the wall until he reached the stairs that led out of the dungeon. Staying in the shadows, he transformed into a random Hydra guard that he had seen in the hallway. Then he walked up the stairs. The two guards standing at the door simply nodded at him and let him pass. 

No one seemed to notice him as he made his way through the Palace. But his stomach turned when he saw what Hydra had done to his once beautiful home. Red and black Hydra banners hung where the white and gold banners of House Borson had once flown, the tree replaced by a menacing skull with octopus tentacles. Statues and furniture of marble and gold that had been in the palace far longer than even Odin had been alive were in shambles. How could Hela allow this to happen to her home?

Loki made his way up the stairs toward Hela’s chambers. He didn’t know where she was, but he figured this was as good a place as any to start looking. As he approached her room, he heard voices inside. 

“The people of Asgard are not accepting the rule of Hydra easily.” A guard said. “There are rioters in the streets. The Asgardians will revolt against us.”

“Of course they will.” Hela replied calmly. “And we will put them down with whatever means are necessary. We are their rulers now. And we will force them to accept that whether they want to or not.” 

“Yes, your grace.”

“You may go.” She dismissed him. 

“Yes, your grace.” He replied. “Hail Hydra.”

“Hail Hydra.”

Loki hid against the wall, as the guard left Hela’s room, closing the door behind him. He materialized a knife and stabbed the guard in the stomach. Blood poured from his mouth and he fell to the floor, a look of shock still on his face. He knew he could have let the guard live, but the less Hydra scum were roaming the palace the better. Besides, what was the life of one guard compared to the thousands of Asgardians Hydra had already senselessly slaughtered?

He opened the door to Hela’s room and walked inside. She looked up at him confused. But when he transformed back into his own form, her confusion turned into a smile.

“Loki,” She walked over to him. “I knew you would escape your cell eventually. You just needed the right motivation.”

“You were right. And now I have it.” 

He created another knife, this one with a poisoned tip, and lunged toward her with it. He moved as fast as he could, far faster than the average human. But Hela was still able to stop him. She caught his arm before he could stab her and took the knife from his hand with a laugh. 

“You didn’t think I would see your assassination attempt coming?” She questioned. “I knew how much Frigga and Thor meant to you. Of course I knew that the moment you escaped the dungeon you would try to avenge them. But if killing me is really what you want to do, you’re going to have to get much more creative than this.”

“I will keep trying until I succeed.” He warned her. “I will stop at nothing to avenge my family.”

“I already told you, we were never really your family.” She told him. “Not me, not Thor, not even Odin.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I will tell you everything, on one condition.” She offered. “You give up this foolishness about vengeance and join me. You have a brilliant mind. You could be a real asset to Hydra.”

“I would rather die than join Hydra.” 

“I figured you would say that. So I’ll give you some time to rethink your decision.” 

“I won’t change my mind.” 

She ignored him. 

“Leidolf! Dyri!” She called out. Two Hydra guards entered the room. “Take Loki back to his cell in the dungeon. I will deal with him later.”

“Yes, your grace.” They nodded in unison. 

Leidolf and Dyri bound his hands and dragged him back down to the dungeon. They threw him back in his cold, dark, dirty cell, where the only sound he heard was the scream of another prisoner being tortured by Hydra. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. I'll have more soonish. Thanks for reading! :)


	10. New Alliances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been almost 2 months since I last updated this. Sorry about that. I basically lost the motivation to write for awhile, but I'm back. Hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

Tony stood on the balcony with Pepper, overlooking the beautiful view of Birnin Zana from the chambers King T’Challa had let them stay in. The capital of Wakanda was sometimes referred to as the Golden City, and having seen it for himself, he could understand why. It was absolutely stunning. It was truly a hidden paradise. 

“Standing out here, it’s easy to forget we’re at war.” Pepper remarked.

“It is.” Tony agreed. “But we can’t.”

“I think things with the Wakandans are going well.”

“I agree. We’re getting along. And I hope we’re gaining their trust.”

“Do you think the king will agree to fight for us?” She asked.

“I don’t know yet.” He answered. “What do you think?”

“I think he might.” She nodded. “But he is a quiet man. It’s hard to tell what he is thinking.”

“It is.” 

“I have been invited to train with the Dora Milaje in the morning.” She told him. “General Okoye has heard a lot about my powers, and she wants to see them in action. I hope that is a good sign.”

“I would say so.” He replied. “But you can attest to the fact that I am often wrong.”

“You are.” She agreed with a smile. “But I love you anyway. And I think you will make a wonderful king.”

“As long as I have you by my side.” He told her with a kiss. “I love you.” 

The next morning, Tony followed Pepper out to the courtyard where she would be training with the Dora Milaje. 

“Do you think they would let me watch?” He asked her.

“I don’t know. You would have to ask General Okoye.”

Tony sighed. Pepper laughed.

“You’re afraid of her, aren’t you?” She teased.

“I wouldn’t say I am afraid of her, but she is a very intimidating woman.”

“She is. But she is not going to kill you if you ask and the answer is no.”

“I didn’t think she would, but thanks for putting that idea in my head.”

“You’re welcome.” 

General Okoye stood watching some of her soldiers who were already training. She turned around when she heard them approach.

“Good morning.” She greeted them. “Will Lord Stark be joining us today?”

“He wanted to observe, if that would be alright with you.” Pepper replied.

“Of course.” Okoye agreed. 

“Thank you.” Tony started to back away awkwardly. “I will just, um, go sit over there somewhere.”

General Okoye ignored him as he sat down on a bench at the edge of the courtyard, still close enough to hear what they were saying. 

“I would like you to begin with a simple demonstration of your powers.” She instructed Pepper. “I have heard that you can control your body heat. I want to know how your powers work.”

“I got my powers from being kidnapped and tortured. I don’t entirely understand how my powers work. I don’t even know what he injected in me to give me these powers. I just know how to use them.”

“Show me.” 

Pepper started to glow orange as she heated up her body. 

“Does it hurt?” Okoye asked.

“It doesn’t hurt me.” Pepper answered. “But it can burn other people.”

She reached out a hand to the general. She grabbed it, but pulled back immediately.

“That is incredible.” 

“Watch this.”

Pepper leaned her head back and breathed a cloud of smoke and flames into the air. Members of the Dora Milaje, as well as other people milling around the courtyard had all stopped to watch her. 

“I would imagine your powers to be useful in battle.”

She nodded.

“I can melt Pazìlish steel with a touch.”

Okoye took a fighting stance with her spear.

“Can you melt vibranium?”

“I guess we’ll find out.” 

Pepper unsheathed her sword. 

“You still use a sword?”

“I do.” She nodded. “And I would say I’m pretty good with one.”

The sword burst into flames in her hand. Okoye’s eyes widened, but she stayed focused. She charged at Pepper with her spear, which was just barely dodged. Pepper lunged with her sword, but Okoye avoided it. For a while, they went back and forth like that, trading blows that only occasionally hit. Tony and the Dora Milaje watched the two of them with awe. They were both extraordinarily skilled fighters, who were nearly equally matched. But Pepper’s powers gave her an advantage, and she was bound to get the upper hand eventually.

Okoye finally managed to disarm her, but when she tried to stab her with the spear, Pepper grabbed it. She closed her eyes for a moment and the spear lit on fire. The general looked impressed, but when the vibranium started to melt, she looked stunned. She dropped the melting remains on the ground. 

Okoye attacked without a weapon next, but when she touched Pepper’s skin, she got burned. Pepper took advantage and flipped her over, pinning her to the ground. 

“I think I won.” Pepper remarked with a smile.

“Your powers are incredible.” Okoye told her as Pepper or her up. “I can tell that you were an impressive fighter even before you had them. But with them, you are invincible.”

“Those are the words of my house. And I am our sigil.” 

“You are the dragon.”

“She is the Dragon Queen.” King T’Challa corrected, walking up to them. “And her husband is the Phoenix King. With our help, they shall be the King and Queen of the Four Kingdoms of Xandar.”

“You will fight with us?” Tony stood up, shocked.

“We will.”

“Thank you.”

“We believe the whole world will be safer with the two of you ruling the Four Kingdoms.” 

“Lady Pepper,” Okoye said. “I would like for you to fight alongside the Dora Milaje.”

“It would be an honor.”

Tony and Pepper spoke with King T’Challa and General Okoye for a while about what they would do next. They agreed that the troops of the Iron Lands would stay in Wakanda and train with the Wakandan army while they worked on battle plans. As they spoke, he found himself thanking the gods for the storm that washed them up on the shores of Wakanda. They would have a far better chance of winning this war with a new ally on their side. 

*****

Thor floated on a makeshift raft for what felt like weeks. It was hard to keep track of the days, especially when he had had nothing to eat since before the Hydra attack. He couldn’t sleep either. Every time he closed his eyes, he was plagued with nightmares about the attack. He saw Lady Sif get her head blown off, and the fleet of ships being blown up with wildfire. He saw the Avenger’s Sea turn red with blood. So he stayed awake as much as possible.

He wanted nothing more than to wash up on a shore somewhere and find something to eat. Part of him wanted to go home to Asgard, but he knew he would never be able to show his face there again after what had happened. He didn’t even care about the war anymore. He had no army left to fight with. Everyone but him had been killed. 

He tried to stay awake, but eventually, sleep claimed him again, and he saw endless images of blood, smoke, and fire. Of the people that he had failed to protect. 

He didn’t know how long he slept, but when he woke up, he had washed up on a beach. Given the fleet’s location at the time of the attack, he assumed he had landed somewhere in America, but he couldn’t be sure. However, he was sure that he was not alone. When he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar face hovering above him.

“Lady Valkyrie?”

“In the flesh.” She replied. 

“I assumed you died.” He remarked.

“I assumed you died. But here we both are.”

“Where is here exactly?” Thor asked.

“I do not know.” Valkyrie answered. “But we will find out. Let’s go inland and see if we can find a village. Find food and shelter for the night.”

“You should go on without me.” 

She sighed and kneeled down beside him.

“I know you must feel guilty about what happened. But it was not your fault.”

“It doesn’t feel right that I survived when almost everyone else was killed.”

“I agree. But you survived for a reason.” She told him. “The Asgardian people still need you. They chose you for their king. They will expect you to lead them. So I cannot allow you to lay here and waste away, feeling sorry for yourself. You have to get up and come with me. We must return to Asgard.”

Thor didn’t want to get up. He didn’t want to go. But he knew Lady Valkyrie better than to think she would give him any choice in the matter. So he got up and followed her off the beach and into the woods. 

It was getting dark and they were both beaten down and exhausted. But they kept going anyway. They walked through the forest for what seemed like hours before they finally found a road, and they had to walk for what felt like hours more before they finally stumbled upon a village. They headed straight for the inn.

“Do you have any rooms tonight?” Thor asked, setting some coins down on the counter. 

The innkeeper stared at them.

“Sna pflu ezof. Sna da i käk.” 

He recognized the language as Skwuthi, but the only words he recognized were “I’m sorry,” and he found himself wishing he’d paid more attention to his maester’s lessons. But at least it confirmed that they were in America. 

“Da sngä yä span shvuke süch sklüz?” Valkyrie asked. 

“Hüz, hǔ.” The innkeeper nodded. “Mberkäj kli sngä.” 

“You speak Skwuthi?” Thor asked Valkyrie as they followed the innkeeper.

“You don’t?” Valkyrie questioned. “I thought the Asgardian royal family prided themselves on being able to speak the native languages of all Four Kingdoms?”

“We do. But I didn’t retain much from my lessons.”

“Why am I not surprised?” She teased. 

“Slev sngä slej sün skwïv?” The innkeeper asked.

“Hüz, ngwer sngä.” Valkyrie replied.

“Mberkäj käpwem di zek mir shvuk sna sngä go mbav.” 

“We are to go out to the common room for supper.” She translated for him after the man left. 

Thor and Valkyrie got cleaned up a bit in their room before going back out to eat supper. 

“Here you go. Enjoy.” The cook told them in the Common Tongue when she brought the food. 

“We must be in the Britannia region of America.” Valkyrie remarked. “They have a distinctive accent in this part of the kingdom, and she has it. So do the other travelers in here.” 

Thor just nodded. 

“We should leave first thing in the morning.” Valkyrie told him. “Now that we have an idea of where we are, we know what direction we need to travel. We can travel east to a port town on the coast and get on a ship bound for Asgard. We’re not far from the coast, so it shouldn’t take too long.”

“I don’t think we should go back to Asgard.” 

“We could always travel north. There are port towns north of York. We could catch a ship to Jottenheim and travel to Asgard from there. It might be better. We could attract attention coming to Asgard from the ports. We don’t know what could be waiting for us when we arrive.”

“I mean, I don’t think we should go back to Asgard at all.” He clarified. 

“We have to go back.” She sighed in annoyance. “Look, I understand that you feel guilty about what happened. So do I. But that is all the more reason to return to Asgard. We have to-,”

“I saw Lady Sif die.” He cut her off. “I watched her get her head blown off by a cannonball.”

“I saw friends killed too.” She snapped. “But feeling moping around feeling guilty won’t solve anything. We have to go back to Asgard to avenge the people we lost. And to protect the Asgardians who are still alive. You are their king. They need you now more than ever. We cannot give up.”

“You are right.” He admitted, even though he didn’t want to. “We have to go back to Asgard. We will avenge the dead and protect the living.”

“Damn straight we will.” She smiled. “We leave tomorrow.” 

*****

After two long weeks of sailing, Steve stepped off the ship with Peggy and his bannermen on the shores of the Wildlands. There were no other people in sight from the sandy beach and they felt little relief from finally being on land again. The Wildlanders would probably not appreciate them showing up here uninvited and demanding to speak to their queen and prince. They fully expected to be greeted with hostility when they finally ran across a tribe. 

He started to realize that Peggy may have been right. This had been a terrible idea. It was ungodly hot here, and they would be traveling on foot for hours. His people had never been in this kind of heat before, even those who had been to the Iron Lands. They would be exhausted by the time they found people, and if they had to fight them, it might not end so well. Those that survived the battle would be taken prisoner or executed. Under those circumstances, if he and Peggy did meet Queen Hope and Prince Scott, it would be as prisoners of war. As invading enemies. 

“I apologize in advance for anything that goes wrong here.” Steve told her.

“Somehow, it is already too late.” Peggy retorted. “Something will inevitably go wrong. And it will be your fault for bringing us here. You just better hope I can fix whatever mess we get into.”

“You don’t think I can?” 

“Maybe, but not without my help.” She teased. 

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.” He smiled back at her.

Their conversation was interrupted by exactly what Steve had been fearing. They suddenly found themselves surrounded by a tribe of Wildlanders who seemed to appear out of nowhere.

“Speak of the devil.” He remarked quietly.

“Let me handle this, please.” Peggy whispered. “My Lawlēblan is better than yours.”

Steve nodded in agreement. She was admittedly the better diplomat anyway. 

“Hā klê klī’af.” She told them.  _ We come in peace.  _ “Hā xwaw yūf fli wrūwin’dêt ā America. Hā xwaw kwê lī’a i dō. Hā xwaw klī lī’a awrfawti.”  _ We are from the kingdom of America. We are not looking for a fight. We are just looking for allies.  _

But it seemed these particular Wildlanders were not interested in diplomacy. Or perhaps they simply didn’t believe that these foreigners who came to their country uninvited hadn’t come looking for war. The woman who led the tribe gave the rest the signal to attack.

This particular tribe couldn’t have been the Kwa’Xūan that Peggy had told him ruled the Wildlands. They didn’t appear to have the ability to shrink, fly, or control ants. But whoever these people were, they were extremely skilled warriors nonetheless, and they used fighting moves and tactics Steve had never seen before. If they survived this and managed to ally with the Wildlanders, those unfamiliar tactics would come in handy battling Queen Carol’s troops. But for now, it only seemed to make them more difficult to beat. Especially when they seemed familiar with how the knights of the Four Kingdoms fought. 

The leader of the tribe had gone for Peggy, while Steve fought another female warrior. She was a lot smaller than him, but she was also faster, he struggled to defeat her. She almost seemed like she knew what he was going to do before he did it, and she easily dodged every swing of his sword. He could see out of the corners of his eyes that his bannermen were struggling as well. Just as the warrior had a spear to his throat, the leader of the tribe yelled. 

“Onhêhed!”  _ Stop!  _ “Kor mba kwê kawlkōsh. K’ō klê klī’af.”  _ She was not lying. They come in peace.  _

“Lawy k’ō i?” A warrior asked.  _ What do they want?  _

_ “ _ K’ō xwaw lī’a awrfawti. K’ō’dawtwū ēx wē Kof Nakê.” _ They are looking for allies. They only wish to speak with Queen Hope.  _

“A mbi hā yūaf dō fli yaw ā i yār wêd?” Another warrior called.  _ Why would we agree to fight a foreign nation’s war? _

“K’ō mif ni el xwaw êbi.”  _ They believe their cause is just.  _

“Wêk kwu?” Another questioned.  _ Do you?  _

“Fi xwaw klī’a fli awnta. I fla’waw yūaf mbalu mbi mbêrē Kof Nakê fy Tō’Droli’.” She replied.  _ That is not for me to decide. But I have agreed to escort them to meet Queen Hope and Prince Scott.  _

The warriors of the tribe seemed to accept their leader’s decision. Steve, Peggy, and their men began to follow the tribe through the desert. 

“How did you manage to get her to agree to this?” Steve asked Peggy as they walked. He was astonished. 

“I talked to her while we were fighting.” She explained. “Because I am an excellent diplomat.”

“One of the best, apparently.” He agreed. 

“Do you have any idea how far it is to the capital?” Lord Wilson asked.

“No clue.” Steve answered.

“Technically, the Wildlands have no formal capital.” Peggy informed them. “But functionally, the Kwa’Xūan run the country from fli Zāf ā fli Kolībto, the City of the Wasp, the village that the tribe is based out of.”

“How far is it from the coast?” Bucky asked.

“It’s in the center of the country.” 

“Then why would they agree to take us so far?” Steve asked.

“Perhaps they have a motive of their own.” Peggy suggested. “For now, we should just be grateful they were willing to escort us, instead of sending us back where we came from. Or worse, just killing us.”

“Yeah,” Lord Wilson agreed, sarcastically. “And now we will be walking through the desert for weeks.”

“It will not be weeks.” Peggy corrected. “Just several days.”

“That makes me feel so much better.” Bucky replied.

“You should all just shut your mouths and be grateful.” She retorted. “They could still change their minds and kill us instead.”

“Let’s pray to the gods that they don’t.” Steve remarked. “Something is finally starting to go right for our campaign. We cannot afford to blow it now.” 

*****

Phil stepped off the ship in Marvel. He had been sailing for over a week, by himself save for the crew of the ship. Queen Carol hadn’t allowed him to bring anyone from The Shield with him to the capital, and he had never felt more alone in his life. He desperately wished his family was with him. 

He remembered the sadness in Melinda’s eyes when she saw him off back in Triskelion. She was on the verge of tears. 

“I’m going to miss you.” She had told him. 

“I’ll miss you, too.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Pǔp rujfet.”  _ I love you. _

“Pǔp rujfet uukta.”  _ I love you too.  _

He cried on the ship when he left her behind. But he had to trust that she and his daughters would be okay. He knew they could take care of themselves. But with everything that was going on, he knew that something could still happen to them at any moment.

“Are you Lord Coulson?” A man asked as he approached. 

“I am.” Phil answered. “And who are you?”

“My name is Jasper Sitwell, my lord. I am a Knight of the Queen’s Guard.” He told him. “I have been instructed to escort you to the Queen. Her Grace wishes to speak with you immediately.”

“Of course.” He nodded. “Lead the way, Ser.”

Jasper Sitwell led him from the docks into the city. The streets of Marvel were crowded. In order to get to the castle, they had to pass through the poorest part of the city. The people here lived in cramped, dirty conditions, but it was nothing like the poverty he had witnessed in Triskelion. House Fury liked to make it known that they cared about helping the poor and making sure they were housed and fed. But evidently, they had been focusing only on the poor in Marvel, leaving the impoverished in Triskelion to starve in the streets.

The end of the narrow road opened up into a large square, where the Sept of Marvel stood. Beyond the Sept, Phil could see Providence, the castle of the royal family. It was a beautiful stone building with gold roofs and towers that stretched high above the rest of the city. He imagined that the view from those towers would be breathtaking. But he would find out for sure soon enough.

As they approached the castle, soldiers nodded to them and let them pass through the gates. When the guards opened the door to the castle for them, they stepped inside the Great Hall. It was incredible, with tall, gold pillars holding up an impossibly high ceiling. At the front of the room, was the Infinity Throne. He had always imagined what it would be like to see it, but he never could have guessed how amazing it really was.

“Her Grace wishes to speak with you immediately.” Ser Jasper told him. “I will take you up to her now, and afterwards, you will be taken to your chambers.” 

Phil followed him up the stairs of the castle to a solar where Queen Carol herself sat waiting for him behind a desk. She stayed seated as he approached.

“I am glad to see you made it here alive.” She remarked.

“Thank you, your grace.” He bowed respectfully. “It is an honor to be chosen to serve as your hand.”

She nodded and motioned for him to take the seat across from her.

“I would like to begin by saying how sorry I was to hear about the Hydra attack in Zephyr.” She told him. 

His stomach dropped. He had no idea what she was referring to.

“What attack?” 

“You didn’t hear?” 

“No.” He shook his head. “What happened? Are Daisy and Jemma alright?”

He would never be able to live with it if something had happened to them.

“They are both alive and unharmed.” She informed him, to his relief. “But Hydra staged an attack in the streets outside the Sept of Zephyr, and hundreds of civilians were killed. Possibly thousands more were injured. Among the dead were Ser Lance Hunter, a Knight of The Shield who I know was especially close to your family. Unfortunately, I was unable to allow Lady Bobbi Hunter to return to The Shield to grieve. It is too dangerous. She is an important member of the Small Council, and I cannot risk her getting killed by Hydra if she were to go back to Tahiti.”

Phil sat in stunned silence, barely able to process the information the queen had just given him. He had not expected this. He knew this must have happened while he was traveling and that they would have been unable to get a raven to him on the ship. But he still wished there was some way he could have known. Better still, he wished there was some way he could have stopped it. 

Queen Carol started talking again. He thought she said something about war preparations against Hydra, or maybe one of the other claimants to the throne. But he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t really paying attention anymore. All he could think about was his family. 

What kind of danger had he left his daughters in? They might have survived this attack unharmed, but what if Hydra struck again? They were not safe in Zephyr, and they would never be safe there, or anywhere, ever again until Hydra was defeated. And what about Melinda? What if Hydra attacked Triskelion again? She was in just as much danger as Daisy and Jemma. 

He realized that the queen had stopped talking, and was now staring at him, waiting for a response. 

“I apologize, your grace.” Phil told her. “I am just a little distracted right now. I am worried about my daughters. Do you think it would be possible for us to continue this conversation in the morning?”

“Of course.” She replied, looking annoyed. “I’m sure you want to write a letter to them and make sure they are alright. Besides, you must be exhausted from your journey. We can meet again in the morning, before we meet with the Small Council.”

“Thank you for your understanding.” 

He bowed respectfully before leaving the room. He realized he may not have made the best impression on Queen Carol, but at the moment, that was the least of his concerns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying this story. I'll have more soonish. Like, in less than 2 months, I promise. Thanks for reading! :)


	11. The Gift

Peggy woke up in a tent on the desert floor. They had been traveling through the Wildlands for days, only stopping to rest and eat. It turned out that the tribe that had found them were the Lawlēblan. They were a nomadic warrior tribe who spent their lives traveling across the Wildlands, with the intent of protecting its people from any dangers that may arrive on their shores. Their nomadic ways were the reason that their language became the common tongue among the tribes of the Wildlands.

Steve was next to her, still asleep. Normally, they wouldn’t be sharing a bed like this, but they needed to put on a united front for the Wildlanders. She wasn’t sure how they would react if they found out the truth about them. Given their matriarchal society, she was positive they wouldn’t take kindly to a man disrespecting his wife. And they certainly wouldn’t want to support his bid for the Infinity Throne.

She could put up with sharing a tent with Steve, but she knew it was hard on him. He had been sharing quarters with Bucky since she found out about them. She knew he would want to be with him more than ever, what with them being in a strange foreign land and all. But there was no way they could do that without having to answer some very awkward questions. 

Peggy heard movement beside her. She looked over to see Steve waking up. 

“Good morning.” She told him.

“Is it?” He questioned. “Because I am pretty sure we are in for another day of following a tribe of nomads through an endless desert.”

“Look on the bright side. We are getting to know the people of the Wildlands.” She pointed out. “We are getting them to trust us. That will help us when we finally meet the queen.”

“What if that never happens? What if they are just leading us around the desert until we die of exhaustion?”

“If they were going to kill us, they already would have. And they certainly would not be giving us food to eat and tents to sleep in.” 

“I guess they treat their prisoners well here.”

“We are not their prisoners.” She argued.

“If we are not their prisoners, then what are we?” 

“I’m not entirely sure.” She admitted. “But I suppose we will find out soon.”

“Not nearly soon enough.”

They were interrupted by Ênhui, the leader of the tribe.

“Tē shal’bīy.”  _ It’s time to get up.  _ She told them. “Hā waw kwobe yāy mbu hūbtū ā dro’.”  _ We have another long day ahead of us. _

“Ā xūmō.”  _ Of course.  _ Peggy replied, getting up. “Hā lī fêx’būktū a’u.”  _ We will be right out. _

“Fla’klī taw kwê.”  _ I just cannot wait.  _ Steve muttered sarcastically after she left.

“Your Lawlēblan is getting much better.” She remarked.

“’Dawfê kwu.”  _ Thank you.  _ He replied. “Fla’waw i kwê’aw’.”  _ I had a great teacher.  _

Peggy and Steve packed up their tent and met Lord Wilson and Lord Barnes in the center of the camp as the tribe was preparing to leave.

“Are you ready for another day of suffering?” Lord Wilson asked them.

“Absolutely not.” Steve replied.

“The good news is we should reach Zāf ā fli Kolībto tonight.” Peggy informed them.

“Will the queen want to meet with us then?” Steve asked.

“I do not know.” She answered. “I guess we will find out when we get there.”

They walked through the desert for hours, with no end in sight, meeting no one along the way. It was only the troops of America and the Lawlēblan tribe. But as the sun began to set, Peggy saw a city on the horizon. It didn’t look peculiar from a distance, but as they got closer, she realized it was a city unlike any she had ever seen before. 

“Bêf wi fli Zāf ā fli Kolībto.”  _ Welcome to the City of the Wasp. _ Ênhui announced as they reached the outskirts of the city.

The buildings were made of red and brown stone, matching the colors of the desert floor, and looked as if they were a natural part of the landscape. The people wore thin, somewhat revealing clothing due to the extreme climate, most of it in neutral, earthy tones. Many wore jewelry and hair accessories made of the wings and legs of insects. One woman wore a necklace made of a dead tarantula, and another had a wreath of butterflies in her hair. 

She realized as she walked through the streets that the city was arranged to resemble a spider’s web. And in the center of the web, stood a tall, pyramid shaped building the color of the desert sand. 

“That must be Fli Yūktê a fli Kolībto.” She remarked to Steve.

“The what?”

“The Wasp’s Nest.” She explained. “It serves as the queen’s palace. It was built centuries ago by another tribe, but the Kwa’Xūan conquered it and decided to build their new city around it.”

The Lawlēblan were able to lead them past the guards and inside the palace. It was stunning on the inside, with copper accents in the reddish stone. A throne was carved out of the far wall, accented with copper to match the walls. In the air, hundreds of ants flew, with barely visible soldiers riding them. It was one thing to imagine this when reading about it, but seeing it person nearly took her breath away.

On the throne, sat Queen Hope herself, dressed in a dark blue dress with bronze armor resembling the abdomen of an insect. Her crown was bronze, with a red-brown veil covering her face. But what stood out the most about the queen were the silvery wings protruding from her back.

“She really does have wings.” Steve remarked, seemingly in disbelief. 

“I do.” Queen Hope replied. Peggy didn’t think the queen had heard his comment, but evidently, she had. “But I am sure you did not come all this way to gawk at me. You came for allies.”

“Did you know we were coming?” He asked her.

“Of course I did.” She answered. “The Lawlēblan sent a messenger ahead. I know that you want us to join your war.”

“We do.” He nodded. “We need allies, and we can think of none more formidable than you.”

“The last nation to get involved in a Xandarian war was Sokovia.” Queen Hope pointed out. “And their country was destroyed for it.”

“We will not bring battle to your shores.” He promised. “We will be sailing for Marvel to defeat Queen Carol.”

“You want me to make you the King of the Four Kingdoms.” 

“I believe I am the best person for the job.”

“I disagree.” Queen Hope retorted. “I will not make you a king. However,” she turned her gaze on Peggy, “I will make her a queen.” 

*****

Daisy followed Rosalind and Luther through the rainforest outside Zephyr with Jemma, Fitz, Mack, Elena, and Grant. She knew it was a risk to let Grant get involved in all this. But he had become a friend. And he seemed like the perfect man for this job. He was a natural fighter and he seemed trustworthy. Also, he was clearly smitten with her, although she would deny that the feeling was mutual. 

Her sister and their friends were convinced there was something going on between her and Grant. There most certainly was not. But he was a good man. He came from a poor family and she could tell he greatly appreciated the opportunity she was providing him. She was also paying him to help take down Hydra. He said he would do it for free, but she had insisted. He needed money to help feed his younger brother Thomas. But he still claimed he was here for the cause, not the money.

They were heading out on their first mission for Rosalind. Their goal was to take out a Hydra cell that was occupying the village of Bâtchuuppǔnggêng on the northern coast of Tahiti. Even if they succeeded, they would not come close to wiping out Hydra on the island, but it would be a start. 

As they approached the village, Daisy could see the lighthouse that the village took its name from rising above the trees to guide ships to its shore. She had never seen it before, but she had heard it was a beautiful sight to behold. At least it was under normal circumstances. But now, the black and red banner of Hydra hung from the roof, along with a few bodies that she presumed to be the sailors who used to run it. It was a terrifying, nauseating sight. 

“We are going to reclaim the village.” Grant told her, seeming to sense her thoughts. “Then we can take down that hideous octopus banner and burn it.”

“First, we will make sure to arrange for proper funerals for the poor men they made examples of.” She promised. 

“So we are just going to walk in and take back the village?” Fitz questioned. “We only have a few men.”

“True, but Hydra doesn’t have many men here.” Jemma pointed out. “They are too spread out across the Four Kingdoms to be able to keep too large of a force in one village. They don’t have near the numbers here that they really should. We should be able to make quick work of defeating them.”

“You make it sound like this will be easy.” Mack remarked.

“It will be.” Rosalind replied confidently. “We have some of the best warriors in the kingdom on our side, and one of them happens to be a sorceress who can bring down buildings.”

“But we have no idea what they have waiting for us.” Elena reminded them. 

“Hydra won’t have anything we cannot handle.” Daisy told her. “And we will win because we have to. The people of Bâtchuuppǔnggêng are counting on us to save them.”

“What happens if they slaughter the villagers in retaliation?” Fitz asked. 

“Then we have an alchemist who can bring them back to life.” Rosalind said. 

“This is not a job for two little princesses.” One of Rosalind’s men remarked. 

“We are not princesses.” Jemma retorted.

“We are the Witches of Zephyr.” Daisy told him. 

As they approached the outskirts of the village, Rosalind stopped them.

“Ser Elena, could you scout ahead for us?” She requested.

The knight nodded. Like Daisy, Elena was a sorceress. She used her powers to run through the village and snap back to her original spot so fast that no one could actually see her move at all unless they watched her very closely. 

“Most of Hydra’s men are in the lighthouse itself.” She reported. “Some others are standing guard in the town square.”

“Lady Daisy, you and I will lead a group to the lighthouse to take out the men there.” Rosalind commanded. “Lady Jemma, you and Luther will lead a group to the town square. That’s where the most civilians will be, and they are who will need your help the most.”

The two sisters nodded in agreement. Daisy and Rosalind took Grant and Mack, while Elena and Fitz went with Jemma and Luther. Rosalind’s men were split evenly between the two groups.

When they reached the lighthouse, Daisy quaked down the door and led their forces inside. Jemma had been right. Hydra did not have near the forces in Bâtchuuppǔnggêng that they needed to defend it. Hydra’s men fought back, but they never really stood a chance against Rosalind’s forces. 

For a first mission together, this was going extremely well. The Hydra soldiers were quickly run through with swords or quaked out the windows to their deaths. They had taken back the lighthouse within ten minutes, taking down the Hydra banner and burning it, as well as taking down the bodies of the sailors hanging from the roof. 

“I told you we could do this.” Grant remarked to her. 

She smiled, but something felt off. This had been far too easy. Beating Hydra was never this simple. Something was going on here. She could feel it in her gut.

“I think we should go see what’s going in the town square.” Daisy told him.

Grant nodded and followed her away from the lighthouse. The village seemed eerily quiet, with no signs of people between there and the town square. Whatever was going on could not be good.

When Daisy reached the town square, she was greeted by pools of blood at her feet. There were more Hydra soldiers here than she had thought there would be. Luther and his men were holding their own against them, but Elena was too busy carrying injured civilians to where Jemma and Fitz were treating people to be much help in the fight. 

Things were not going well over here. Fitz had been right when he said that Hydra might start killing the people when they realized what was going on. But Daisy had no idea if Rosalind had been right when she said Jemma could bring them back. She had only seen her resurrect someone once, and that had been their father. And if she knew her sister, she would be focusing on saving the people who were still alive. 

Daisy’s first instinct was to run and find Jemma, but she knew her sister could handle herself. She was needed in the fight. 

She easily quaked down several of Hydra’s men without breaking a sweat, before drawing her sword and going to battle. The rest of Rosalind’s troop caught up with them and joined the fight too. Within minutes, the tides had turned, and most of Hydra’s men were left laying in a pool of blood. 

Daisy thought the battle was over, until one last Hydra soldier walked into the center of the battlefield, dragging a small child behind him. She was a little girl, no older than seven. Tears streamed down her face as she screamed in terror. 

She rushed to try and save the girl but it was too late. By the time she got to them, he had already driven his sword through the girl’s stomach. Daisy raised her sword and cut his head off with one clean stroke.

She dropped her sword and turned around to see Jemma rushing through the crowd of people. She knelt down beside the girl.

“Awbii, rad̀ yî gul rer f̀êk.”  _ Please, you have to save my daughter.  _ The woman next to her cried.

Jemma put two fingers to the girl’s neck to find a pulse, then looked up at Daisy with despair. 

“Wu rem yü lêtûf.”  _ She is already dead. _

“Awbii.”  _ Please.  _ The woman begged.

Jemma reached into her bag and pulled out some potions, rubbing them onto the girl’s wound. Daisy watched in awe as she whispered something she couldn’t hear and opened the girl’s mouth, pouring a mixture down her throat. She kept talking as she applied some kind of salve to the wound. Then, she poured something else in the girl’s mouth.

Suddenly, the girl’s eyes shot open and she started coughing. Jemma sat her up immediately to prevent her from choking, and the girl coughed up a mixture of blood and strange potions. 

“Z̀uuʄ bæwuch̀ lǔj̀ ʄǔrseg bee zǔch̀aa z̀uuʄ bâtchuup.” The girl said.  _ The princess of darkness shall bear the light. _

Daisy had never heard those words before, but the villagers around her clearly had. They looked at each other with excitement. The girl repeated the words over and over, like some kind of prophecy. 

“Z̀uuʄ bæwuch̀ lǔj̀ ʄǔrseg bee zǔch̀aa z̀uuʄ bâtchuup.”  _ The princess of darkness shall bear the light.  _

*****

Loki was starting to lose track of the days he had spent in a cell. He had tried to escape more times than he could count. It was true that chains couldn’t hold an Asgardian sorcerer. But the Hydra soldiers always found a way to put him back in them. He had several guards outside his door now, who would stop him every time he tried to escape. 

He knew he could still find a way out. But he was losing his will to. He couldn’t single-handedly avenge his family or defeat Hydra. And he had no one there to help him. So maybe there was no point in escaping. But he would do it anyway. Because he knew Frigga would never want him to just lay here and rot. 

He spent hours sitting there, planning the perfect escape. He could easily kill all the guards down here. The guards outside the dungeon would be harder. The palace was swarming with Hydra soldiers, and they had been his downfall in every previous escape attempt. No matter what magic he used to disguise or hide himself, he was outnumbered at least a hundred to one every time. And every time, they caught him and sent him back to the dungeon. But this time, it would be different, or at least that’s what he told himself. 

Loki started out his escape the way he started out every attempt. He turned himself into a snake and slithered out of his chains, then between the bars of the cell. He shifted back into his human form, then materialized a knife. There were six guards outside his cell, but he killed all of them in a matter of seconds. 

During every previous escape attempt, he had tried to escape by going upstairs. But now he realized that had been foolish. He had grown up in this palace. He and Thor had played down here as children, since Odin hardly ever kept prisoners down here. He knew the halls and tunnels of the dungeons better than anyone. And he knew a way out that no soldiers would be guarding.

He kept himself invisible as he followed the turns and tunnels down to the lower floor of the dungeon. Judging by the lack of soldiers down there, Hydra didn’t even know it existed. He kept going until he reached a small crawl space hidden in the wall. He crawled through it and followed it through the ground. 

It led far outside the palace. When he finally reached the end and crawled out, he was in the woods. He was in the middle of nowhere, with no one else around, and only the light of the moon to guide him. But Loki knew exactly where he was, and how to get back to the city. 

Hydra didn’t have any soldiers stationed out in the woods. He didn’t encounter anyone until he reached the perimeter of the city, where there were soldiers standing watch to make sure no one got in or out unless they wanted them to. But Loki had an advantage over them. He could turn himself invisible. And he got by them without any of them noticing anyone was there.

Loki stayed invisible as he walked through the streets, which were now almost unrecognizable. Asgard had always been a peaceful, prosperous city. Even the poorest citizens had a roof on their head and food on the table. But Hela clearly had different ideas about how Asgard should be run. 

Houses and buildings had been demolished by fires and explosions. The once clean streets were now filthy and crowded with newly displaced people, who fought in the streets over scraps of food. He had to step over piles of dead bodies to get around. 

It was a horrifying sight. But it was also infuriating to see how Hela had reduced a once proud people to such a state in a matter of weeks. When he killed her, and he would, the haunted faces and empty eyes of the Asgardians would be in his mind along with the faces of Frigga, Odin, and Thor. 

Loki desperately wanted to help these people. But using his powers too much could attract attention. And he couldn’t risk being captured and sent back to the dungeon. He didn’t have any money or fine jewelry on him. Hydra had taken all of that. So using magic was his only option. He would just have to be very careful about it.

He made his way down to the ruins of the Sept of Asgard, where people were gathering. He figured it was the only refuge left for many people. Although it wasn’t much of a refuge from Hydra, with soldiers still lurking about outside. The remnants of the building did provide a little shelter from the elements, but mostly, people seemed to be using the large piles of rubble to hide from Hydra soldiers.

He shifted to disguise himself as just another Asgardian citizen, using the face of some random man he saw. He walked up to a little boy, who was sitting against a piece of wall, crying, and a girl who looked a few years older. He knelt down beside them, making sure he was shielded from the view of the soldiers.

“What are your names?” He asked them. 

“Iri.” The boy replied.

“My name is Signy.” The girl told him. 

“Where are your parents?” 

“They’re dead.” The boy cried. “Hydra killed them. They killed almost everyone in my neighborhood. The Mad Queen ordered it.”

Loki thought that the Mad Queen was a fitting name for Hela. He wished he had come up with it himself. 

“I’m so sorry.” He told them. “Are you hurt?”

“Just hungry.” Signy answered. 

“I can help you with that.”

Loki created two pieces of bread and handed them to the children.

“How did you do that?” Iri asked. 

“Don’t worry about it.” 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” 

Loki sat next to Iri and Signy as they ate, hesitant to leave the children alone. 

“You are Prince Loki, are you not?” Signy whispered.

“How did you know that?” 

“You did magic.” She answered quietly. “You can help us.”

“I will try.” Loki promised. “But I do not know how much I can do.”

“The grown-ups say that we need allies to help fight Hydra.” She told him. “Hydra attacked the other Kingdoms too, but none of them have come to help.”

“Asgard has no allies outside the Four Kingdoms.” He told her.

“What about the Frost Giants of Jotunheim?”

“We have been at war with them for centuries.” He explained. “They would never help us.”

“Maybe they would. You are a prince. You could ask them.”

“Please.” Iri begged. “You have to help us.”

Loki knew that going to Jotunheim and expecting the frost giants to help was unrealistic. But for some reason, he had a feeling it would work. And Frigga had always told him to trust his gut.

“I will.” He agreed. “I will go to Jotunheim.” 

*****

Peter crouched in a tree in the Wakandan rainforest, just outside the city of Birnin Zana. He missed the Iron Lands, but he had to admit he liked it here. Wakanda was a beautiful country. And the rainforest was the perfect place to go to get away from everything. To clear his head. To have some time to himself, up in the trees where no one would bother him.

He was trying to put on a calm, mature exterior. He really wanted to make a good impression on King T’Challa. And he also wanted to show his parents that he was ready for this. He was not a child anymore. He was a man now. And if they won the war, he would be the heir to the throne. He needed to act like it.

But on the inside, he was absolutely terrified. He had been training a lot with the troops of both the Iron Lands and Wakanda. He had never fought in a war before. It hadn’t seemed totally real that he was about to, but it was starting to feel real now. And he was more scared than he had ever been before.

But he knew he had to get over it. His parents needed him to step up. His country needed him to step up. Someday, his people would need him to be their leader. And he would never be a good king if he never stopped being a scared child. 

The idea of his father becoming the king of the Four Kingdoms still seemed strange to him. He had no doubt that his father would be a great king. But the Iron Lands were all Peter had ever known. They were his home. The Iron Landers were his people. Ever since he was a child, he had known that one day he would be their lord, charged with ruling over and protecting all of them. That alone had put what seemed like a world of pressure on him. But the pressure of someday ruling one kingdom was nothing compared to the stresses of someday ruling all four. 

Suddenly, Peter heard footsteps approaching, snapping him out of thoughts. As the person came into view, he realized it was King T’Challa himself. And he was walking straight towards the tree he was sitting in. 

“What are you doing all the way out here, Peter?” He asked. 

“I-I was just clearing my head, your grace.” Peter stammered.

“The rainforest is indeed the perfect place to do that.” King T’Challa replied. “And please, just call me T’Challa.”

The king climbed nimbly up the tree and sat down next to him. Peter looked at him with surprise. 

“You don’t mind if I sit up here with you, do you?”

“No, of course not.” He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally offend the Wakandan king. “So, are the legends about you true? I read that the Wakandan king is called the Black Panther, because of the powers given to him by his ancestors. Do you have powers?”

“I do.” The king confirmed. “They were given to me by my ancestors so I could protect my people. And now, I will become the first Black Panther to use his powers to protect people who are not his own. You have powers too.”

“I do.” Peter nodded. “I got them when I was bit by a cursed spider.”

“That spider did not have a curse. It had a gift, and it gave that gift to you.” He told him. “And you will use that gift to protect your people, just like I protect mine. I have no doubt that you will be a great king when your time comes.”

“Thank you.” 

“There is no need to thank me. Just prove me right.” He smiled. “Now why don’t we train using our gifts? We will need them soon.”

Peter nodded. King T’Challa leaped from the tree, and he followed him to a small clearing. The king’s words had not eased the anxiety in his stomach or the pressure on his shoulders, but they had given him a sense of confidence he had never felt before. The idea that the Black Panther himself believed that he would become a great king one day was surreal. But it had been exactly what he needed to hear. 

Peter trained with King T’Challa for hours. The first few rounds, he was easily beaten by the king. But around the fourth try, he managed to flip up and backwards, barely escaping being caught by King T’Challa. He landed in a tree, and quickly pounced onto the king, pinning him to the ground. And every round they went, Peter got better. He learned from his previous mistakes, and before he knew it, it was a pretty even match.

“You are a talented fighter, Peter.” The king complimented. “And you are getting even better.”

“Thank you.”

“We better get back to the palace.” He told him. “It’s almost time for supper. Perhaps we can come back out later and train some more.”

“Can I bring my web gauntlets?” Peter requested as they started the walk back. 

“Of course.” He replied. “You know, Princess Shuri would love to take a look at those and see how you guys made them.”

“I would be happy to let her.”

Peter ended up sitting next to Princess Shuri at supper. When he first met her, she made him even more nervous than her older brother did. But once he got to know her a bit better, they got along really well. She was nice and funny, and they were about the same age. They started talking, and he was about to bring up letting her look at his web gauntlets, but he was interrupted by his father and the king.

“We have a very important announcement to make.” His father said. “As you all know, we have spent the last few weeks preparing to go to war with Queen Carol. We have been planning and training nonstop, and we are finally almost ready to leave.”

“Lord Stark and I have agreed that we will set sail for Marvel in three days.” King T’Challa announced. “We will defeat House Fury and help claim the Infinity Throne in the name of House Stark. And we will create not only a safer country for the Xandarians, but a safer world for all of us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Classes are starting up for me, so unfortunately my uploads for this probably aren't going to get any faster. Also, I've decided to split this story up into "seasons," although this is mostly to help me organize the story and all the chapters will be posted under this work. But the next chapter will be the "season finale." I'll have that soonish, hopefully. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this story so far. Thanks for reading! :)


	12. Setting Sail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the "season 1 finale" of A Song of War and Power! I hope you enjoy it.

Thor and Valkyrie had been traveling on foot through the American countryside for days. They were heading for the port towns on the northern coast. Judging by the map Valkyrie had stolen along the way, their best option would be the village of Sütchon, directly north of York. There, they would sneak onto a ship headed for Jotunheim and sail north across the Sokovian Sea. From Jotunheim, they would travel south to Asgard, where they would free the Asgardian people from the rule of Hydra. They were aware they could take a more direct route to get there, but if they stepped onto a port in Asgard, they would be killed as soon as Hydra spotted them. 

They had finally reached the city of York, which meant they were less than a day’s travel away from Sütchon. There was nothing remarkable about the city itself. Even the Winter Castle, the home of House Barnes, was nothing spectacular. It was a simple, red brick structure, much smaller than the castles of the ruling houses. The banner of House Barnes flew above it, a red wolf on a white field. It made him miss the beauty of Asgard, and the incredible palace he had grown up in. It also made him sad to know that the gold tree banner of House Odinson had been replaced with the red octopus of Hydra. And it served as a reminder of why he was on this journey. Of what he was fighting for. He was doing this for the freedom of the Asgardian people. And for the protection of his home. 

The two of them stopped to eat lunch at a small tavern near the castle, before embarking on the last leg of their journey through the Kingdom of America. It was a lovely land, but he couldn’t say he would miss it much. He had been apprehensive at first about Valkyrie’s idea to travel back to Asgard to take it back from Hydra. Part of him still was. The two of them could never defeat Hydra alone, and even if they managed to join up with whatever remained of the Asgardian army in the city, he was still not sure they could win. But he knew they had to at least try. It was their duty to avenge the deaths of their friends, family, and the thousands of innocent citizens Hydra had no doubt slaughtered. 

They’d had to travel the whole way disguised, wearing clothes they had stolen from the first inn they had stayed at. They couldn’t risk anyone recognizing them and turning them over to Hydra, or to a local lord for Asgard’s claim of independence from the Four Kingdoms of Xandar. And they had needed new clothes anyway after Hydra’s attack. The clothes were a far cry from the fine fabrics and sturdy armor he was used to, but they sufficed. So far, no one had recognized them. He prayed that luck would continue. 

It was twilight by the time Thor and Valkyrie reached Sütchon. It was a small village; nothing more than a few shops and houses overlooking the Sokovian Sea. But it was a wonderful sight. There were five ships lined up on the docks. Now, they just needed to figure out which one was headed for Jotunheim and find a way to sneak onto it. 

They hid behind some bushes near the docks and watched as guards and crew members came and went from the ship, looking for some indication that one of them was from Jotunheim. They each took turns watching. One of them would watch for a couple of hours while the other slept, then they would switch places. It was on one of Thor’s turns to watch that he finally saw something.

“Valkyrie,” he whispered, shaking her awake. She opened her eyes. “I think I may have found something.” 

She sat up and he pointed to a man walking along the docks. He hadn’t appeared unusual to Thor at first until he got closer and he realized that the man had blue skin.

“That is a frost giant.” She confirmed. 

“So whichever ship he gets on must be the one headed for Jotunheim.” 

They watched the man closely until he boarded the ship farthest away from them. They got up and walked down the dock until they reached that same ship. There were two guards stationed near it, so they needed a way to sneak past them.

“I wish Loki was here,” Thor remarked. Sneaking past guards was one of his younger brother’s many talents. 

“Relax,” Valkyrie told him. “All we need to do is act as we belong and we’ll be fine.”

Thor followed Valkyrie to the ship. As they reached the brow, the guards stopped them.

“Who are you?” One of them demanded. 

“We need to get to Jotunheim,” Thor explained calmly.

“Only crewmembers are allowed to board the ship.” The other guard told them.

Before the guards had time to stop her, Valkyrie grabbed one of their swords and cut them both down.

“Let’s go.” She told him.

They walked up the brow of the ship as quickly and calmly as they could. They managed to hide from the crew and sneak onto one of the lower decks, where they hid among some crates.

“This is going to be a long trip.” He remarked. 

“Yes, it will.” She agreed. “But it will all be worth it when we kill Hela.”

“Do you really think we can?” Thor questioned. 

“I know we can.”

“What makes you so certain?” 

“Because we have to,” Valkyrie replied. “The future of the Asgardian people depends on our success. We let them down before, but we will not let them down again.”

He nodded, hoping she was right. He wanted nothing more than to slay his sister and take back the Kingdom of Asgard. They had chosen him as their leader. He wanted nothing more than to be the king they needed him to be. 

“We will defeat Hela.” He said, more to convince himself than anything else. “No matter how long it takes, no matter what the cost. She may be prepared for war, but so am I.”

*****

Pepper walked alongside Tony and King T’Challa as they led the combined troops of the Iron Lands and Wakanda through the rainforest. They were finally setting sail for Marvel today. In a little over a fortnight, they would arrive in the capital, and launch an attack that Queen Carol would be unable to prepare for. Even if she was prepared for the Iron Landers to invade, she would never expect that the Wakandans would attack with them. 

They were nearing the village where they had first run into the Jabari Tribe. The fleet of the Iron Landers was still on their shores. Many of their troops had remained in this village during their time in Wakanda, and many of the Jabari would be joining them on their campaign to Marvel, including their leader, M’Baku. 

“It is good to see you again.” M’Baku greeted them when they met up with the Jabari. “And it will be an honor to fight alongside you.”

Pepper smiled. They had landed in this country by accident. They never could have imagined when they washed up in this politically isolated nation that they would find their greatest allies in this war. The Iron Lands were already the most militarily advanced kingdom. With the Wakandans fighting beside them, they would be unstoppable. 

The ships were being loaded with weapons and artillery by the crew. The Wakandans had no ships of their own. They had never had the need for them before. The Jabari had some small boats for fishing, but that was as much seafaring as the Wakandans did. So it would be a tight fit to have the armies of both the Iron Lands and Wakanda in the fleet, but they would manage. 

Pepper, Tony, and Peter had agreed to share their quarters with King T’Challa and Princess Shuri, while General Okoye, M’Baku and some other leaders would stay with Lord Rhodes, Lord Strange, and Lord Potts. It would be a tight squeeze, but she supposed they had no choice but to adapt. It wasn’t as though they had time to build more ships. They had to strike now. 

She boarded the ship with Tony and Peter, with King T’Challa and Princess Shuri following them down to their quarters. When they reached the rooms, T’Challa pulled Peter aside.

“Peter, you seem like a very nice young man.” He told him. “And I know my sister can handle herself. But I am putting a lot of trust in you by allowing her to stay in your room. If you try anything, if you even look at her in an unbecoming manner, I will personally make sure you do not inherit your father’s throne. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir, King T’Challa, your grace.” Peter replied quickly. “I wouldn’t dream of doing anything to hurt your sister. I promise.”

“Good.” T’Challa nodded. 

Pepper watched Peter nervously show Shuri to his room before leading the way to the quarters she and Tony would be sharing with T’Challa. After they helped the Wakandan king get settled in, the three of them headed back upstairs to the main deck. Peter and Shuri were already up there, looking out over the railing and talking. She was glad to see them getting along so well. 

Tony went to talk to the crew of the ship, while Pepper and T’Challa walked over to the railing. They went to the opposite side of the deck of Peter and Shuri, to avoid looking like they were chaperoning them. 

“I have heard that the Wakandan Straight is beautiful to sail across, but I have only ever seen it from the shore.” King T’Challa remarked. “I have never actually left my home country.”

“I wish I could say that I saw the Wakandan Straight when I sailed across it the first time, but 

unfortunately, I was stuck below the deck, sheltering from the storm.” Pepper told him. “Visiting Wakanda was the first time I left the Four Kingdoms. I have been to all four kingdoms, but I never traveled past any of their borders. My husband was in the Battle of Sokovia. The Sokovians offered aid to the Xandarians during the first Hydra Uprising, and their country was destroyed for it. Tony had been the one who convinced them to help. He never stopped blaming himself for what happened.”

“What happened to Sokovia will not happen to Wakanda.” 

“No, it won’t.” Pepper agreed. “We will not bring the battle to your shores.”

They stood in silence for a moment, before T’Challa spoke again.

“I have heard that the Four Kingdoms are beautiful.” He said.

“They are.” She replied. “They are all very different, but they are each beautiful in their own way. From the blazing deserts of the Iron Lands, to the humid rainforests of The Shield, to the temperate fields and forests of America, to the frozen tundras of Asgard, each have their own breathtaking sights to offer. But right now, we are in danger of losing all of that forever.”

“We will save it.” He promised. 

“Why are you helping us?” Pepper asked after a moment. “The Wakandans have never offered aid to a foreign nation before. Why start now?”

“Because I believe this is the right thing to do.” T’Challa told her. “My ancestors said that Wakanda needed to stay isolated to protect itself from the rest of the world. But I realize now that perhaps they were wrong. Wakanda is a thriving nation with many gifts, and I think the time has come for us to share those gifts.”

“I am glad one of those gifts is a strong military.” Tony joked, walking up to join them. “Although I discovered that some amazing fruits are grown in Wakanda.”

“Perhaps when all this is over, we can become trading partners.” T’Challa suggested with a smile.

The ship set sail, and for a while, the three of them stared out over the railing in silence, admiring the view of the sea. 

“Do you really think we can defeat both Hydra and Queen Carol?” Tony asked after several minutes. 

“We can.” T’Challa replied confidently. “And the two of you will sit on the Infinity Throne and rule justly over a peaceful nation. History will remember the Phoenix King and the Dragon Queen.”

*****

Jemma stepped off a ship on the northern coast of Hala with Daisy. A few days had passed since the Battle at Bâtchuuppǔnggêng. They were transporting the little girl they had saved to Triskelion, along with her mother. They figured that The Hub would be the safest place for them. As both an experienced mother and warrior, Lady Melinda would be able to take care of them, as well as protect them from any dangers that they may face. 

The little girl’s Nawzùjian name was Koompuu, which translated to Robin in the Common Tongue, and her mother’s name was Fǔmug, which translated to Polly. Robin seemed like a sweet girl, but she spoke very few words. According to Polly, her daughter was a sorceress who had received a great power at a very young age. She had constant visions of things that had happened or were going to happen, usually unable to tell which was which. Once people in the village realized that her visions were coming true, her words became like prophecies. The prophecy that Robin had said when she came back to life, however, was a much older prophecy. Apparently, it had originated in this area hundreds of years ago and had been passed down from generation to generation. And now that Robin had repeated the prophecy, people not only believed that it was coming true, but that it referred to Jemma or Daisy. The problem was, no one was sure what it meant. 

The four of them trekked through the jungle, along with a few men Rosalind had sent for their protection. Daisy had argued that her powers would be protection enough, but Rosalind had insisted and Jemma had agreed. Her sister was strong, but it was better to be safe than sorry. 

“Do you know how long of a walk this will be?” The leader of the guards asked. His name was Jeffrey Mace, and that was pretty much all she knew about him. 

“It will be a few hours.” Jemma replied. 

She was not particularly looking forward to the journey. She had visited Triskelion a few times during her childhood, but they had always been taken to the city in a carriage back then. But a carriage could draw unwanted attention. This would take longer, but it was more inconspicuous, and getting Robin and her mother to the castle unharmed was more important than comfort. It was better to be safe than sorry. 

It was midafternoon when they arrived in Triskelion. The city was a lot more run down than Jemma remembered, and much of it was in ruins thanks to the recent Hydra attacks. The streets were filled with people who no longer had access to food, clean water, or proper shelter. She knew her family was doing everything in their power to help these people, but it was not enough. 

They got to the castle without any trouble. Lady Melinda was waiting for them inside. She greeted Daisy and Jemma with a hug. 

“I am glad you made it here safely.” She told them. “I have worried a lot about you. How are things in Zephyr?”

“For the most part, things have been running smoothly, although our people are still shaken by Hydra’s attack.” Daisy explained. “How are things in Triskelion?”

“There is a lot of work to be done.” Lady Melinda remarked. “But you did not travel all this way just to catch up.”

“Lady Melinda, this is Robin Hinton and her mother, Polly.” Jemma introduced them. 

“It is an honor to meet you, my lady.” Polly greeted her. “And we are grateful that you are allowing us to stay with you.”

“It’s no trouble.” She replied with a smile. She knelt down to greet Robin. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Robin. I have heard that you are very brave, and that you have a very special gift.”

Robin didn’t reply. She just clutched the carving of a bird that she carried around. Polly said that the girl’s father made it for her. He died when she was just a baby, and the carving was all they had left of him.

“Is that bird a robin, like you?” Lady Melinda asked softly.

“I have never seen a real robin before.” The girl replied. 

“There aren’t many of them in The Shield. Perhaps someday, you could travel to America and see one.” She suggested.

Robin gave a faint smile. 

“She doesn’t talk much.” Polly told her. “She has a lot going on in her head.”

“That’s alright.” Lady Melinda said. “She does not have to say anything if she does not want to. How would you like to see your chambers?”

“That would be lovely, thank you.” Polly answered.

Lady Melinda summoned two of the castle’s servants to show them up to their chambers, while Jemma and Daisy stayed downstairs. They followed her to a sitting room to talk.

“There is something we wanted to ask you.” Daisy said. “When Jemma brought the girl back to life, she started repeating this weird prophecy. Z̀uuʄ bæwuch̀ lǔj̀ ʄǔrseg bee zǔch̀aa z̀uuʄ bâtchuup. The princess of darkness will bear the light.”

A look of recognition crossed Lady Melinda’s face. 

“Have you ever heard of that before?” Jemma asked.

“I have.” She admitted. “Your father and I were visiting a village in the same area as Bâtchuuppǔnggêng when you were both very young. We stopped to help an old woman, who was begging for food in the street. We gave her some spare coins and she thanked us. But as we were leaving, she called those words at us. Z̀uuʄ bæwuch̀ lǔj̀ ʄǔrseg bee zǔch̀aa z̀uuʄ bâtchuup. We did all the research we could on those words, but all we ever really found out was that they are part of an ancient prophecy that originated in that area of Tahiti. We never found out what it meant. Your father has always believed that the prophecy was about one of you. He hoped it was about Daisy.”

“But he feared it was about me?” Jemma questioned. Lady Melinda nodded. “Is that why he hates me? Because he thinks I’m this princess of darkness? Does he view me as a threat to Daisy? I would never do anything to harm her.”

“I know that.” She replied. “And so does he.”

“Then what is his problem?” She asked. “Does he think the prophecy must mean something bad if it’s about his bastard daughter? Does he think it must mean something good if it refers to his trueborn daughter?”

“I’ve never been entirely sure what he thinks.” Lady Melinda answered. “You would have to ask him yourselves.”

“What about you?” Daisy asked. “What do you think?”

“I think it could be about one of you.” She replied. “I hope it is. Because if it is about one of you, then I know it means something good.”

*****

Steve sat with Peggy at the table in their chambers. Queen Hope had offered them and their bannermen rooms at the Wasp’s Nest while they considered her offer. If he agreed, he would have to give up his claim to the throne and allow Peggy to take it. But if he refused, they would lose any chance of an alliance, and he honestly didn’t know if he could get another. 

Part of him wanted to refuse, but the other part of him told him that refusing Queen Hope’s offer would be foolish. He could not afford to give up an alliance over a matter of pride. But could he settle for just being Peggy’s consort? Could he step aside and allow his wife to sit on the Infinity Throne instead of him? 

“Do you want to be the queen?” He asked her. 

He had been putting off having this conversation, but he knew they had to talk this through. They had been here for two days. Queen Hope would be expecting an answer soon. 

“I never had much interest in that, although it does sound tempting when it’s being offered to you.” Peggy replied. 

“Do you want to be the queen?” He repeated. It wasn’t like her to not give him a straight answer.

  
“I would be willing to sit on the throne if you decide to accept her offer.”

“I did not ask if you would be willing to, I asked if you want to.” He replied, getting irritated. “Do you want to be the queen?”

“Yes!” Peggy shouted. “Yes, I want to. But I will leave the decision of whether or not to accept Queen Hope’s offer up to you. I know how badly you want to be king.”

Steve sighed. He had worked hard to become king. He had almost died for it during the Battle of Marvel. Was he really about to give that up and step aside for his wife? He didn’t want to. But perhaps it was more important for a member of House Rogers to be on the throne than it was for him to sit on it himself. Perhaps his wife was better suited for it anyway. 

“I will accept her offer.” He decided. “We have come too far to give up and turn back now. And we cannot win this war without allies.” 

“Are you sure?” She asked. “I know how badly you want to be king.”

“I want someone from House Rogers to sit on the throne, even if it isn’t me.” Steve replied. “You will make a wonderful queen.”

“Are you sure you are willing to settle for being my consort?”

“I have no choice. Besides, you deserve this.” He told her sincerely. “You really do. You are smart, strong, brave, and incredible. I have no doubt you will be an excellent queen.”

“After all the bullshit I’ve had to put up with from you, I am sure handling the Small Council will be a piece of cake.” 

He could tell from her tone that she meant it as a joke, but her words still made him feel guilty.

“I am sorry.” He said. “For everything that I’ve done to you.”

“And I forgive you.” She replied. “It’s time to move on from all of that. This is our chance to start over. Maybe we were never meant to be together romantically, but I think we can still make a good team. And I would be honored to rule the Four Kingdoms with you by my side.”

Steve felt tears well up in his eyes, and tried to blink them away. But he knew she noticed. 

“Well, I think we have something to tell Queen Hope.” He remarked, standing up. “She’s going to banish us if we don’t give her an answer soon.”

“Then let’s give her an answer now.” Peggy agreed. 

Steve and Peggy walked down the stairs to the throne room, where they guessed Queen Hope would be. They had guessed correctly. She was sitting on her throne, talking to her husband, Prince Scott. He wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but she was laughing. He couldn’t help but be a bit jealous that royals and nobles in the Wildlands were allowed to marry for love, rather than politics. 

“Queen Hope,” he called, hoping she would not find him rude for interrupting. “We have made a decision.”

“We have decided to accept your offer.” Peggy told her. 

“You are willing to step aside and allow your wife to rule?” Queen Hope asked.   
  


“Yes, I am.” Steve replied. “I have thought a lot about it, and I think you are right. She would make a better queen than I would a king.” 

“Good.” The queen smiled. “Then we must begin making preparations.” 

“Yes,” Peggy agreed. “We have a lot of work to do.”   
  


Queen Hope and Prince Scott led them to a smaller hall with a large table, where they were met by some tribal and military leaders from around the Wildlands, as well as the bannermen of House Rogers. They spent most of the day there, strategizing and planning for the war to come. 

They would need to spend at least a fortnight in the Wildlands so that their armies could train together and they could better prepare battle plans. After that, they would sail for Wakanda, to try and make another ally. Only after they left Wakanda would they sail for Marvel. They had been underprepared to face Queen Carol’s army before. They had underestimated her. They would not make that mistake again. 

Steve left the meeting late that night and returned to his chambers with Peggy. He was feeling worried, but he was regaining some confidence. The Wildlanders had a strong army that the armies of the Xandarians would be completely unprepared to face. And perhaps people would be more willing to accept Peggy as their new ruler than they would be to accept him. She was a strong, intelligent, capable leader. And everyone knew her value. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't really be taking a "hiatus" between seasons 1 and 2, since it takes me like a month to write each chapter as it is. The next chapter will actually be a prologue for season 2, so it's gonna be shorter than a usual chapter, so hopefully I'll be able to get that publish faster than usual. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. Thanks for reading! :)


	13. Season 2 Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to "Season 2" :)

Robin sat in her new chambers at The Hub. She had been there for a few days, but she was only familiar with the castle from visions she’d had before. Her visions were almost constant. It was hard to look around when she was unable to focus on anything but what she saw in her head.

The visions were passing by so quickly she didn’t have time to process them. She saw a baby with blue skin. She saw a river of blood flowing down a castle hall. She saw swords clashing, and swarms of insects, and a woman on fire. She didn’t know what any of it meant. She supposed someone else would figure it out later.

Right now, she was plagued with more visions. More scenes of terror of violence. And alongside all of it, she heard the same words repeated over and over again. Z̀uuʄ bæwuch̀ lǔj̀ ʄǔrseg bee zǔch̀aa z̀uuʄ bâtchuup. The princess of darkness shall bear the light. 

*****

Carol walked through the training yard, watching her soldiers fight. She had no way of knowing when Lord Rogers or Lord Stark would invade Marvel, or when Hydra would attack the city again. She had a feeling that all three of those things would happen very soon, and she needed her army to be prepared when they did. 

She couldn’t stay and watch them train today, though. She would have to trust her generals to do that. She had a Small Council meeting to attend. She hated them, but the meetings were part of her duty as queen. 

She made her way inside the castle and through its winding halls and staircases. She had called Providence home since the Furys took her in as a teenager. She could find her way around in her sleep. But it all felt different since she had become queen.

Part of it was the war. Providence had once provided her with a sense of security. But with all the threats facing her and her people, she no longer felt safe in her own home. But she was a warrior. She was always ready for battle. She was confident she could lead her people through this war.

The main reason things seemed different was because of her new titles and responsibilities. She had never thought she would inherit the Infinity Throne when King Nick died. She had never expected Queen Maria to offer it to her. She wasn’t the king’s biological daughter. But he had no biological children, so she felt she had to accept the throne, even if she knew she would have to fight tooth and nail to keep it. House Fury had to remain on the throne. 

Carol entered the solar where the Small Council was waiting for her. All six members stood when she entered, and remained standing until she took her seat at the head of the table. There should be seven Small Council members, but since she had become queen, there had been an empty seat. She had yet to appoint a new Head of the Queen’s Guard. It was an important position, but there was no one she trusted well enough to fill it. For now, the Small Council consisted of Lord Coulson, the Hand to the Queen, Bruce Banner, the Master of War, Bobbi Hunter, the Master of Whispers, Heimdall, the Master of Laws, Edwin Jarvis, the Master of Coin, and Daniel Whitehall, the Grand Maester. 

There was no one on the council that she truly trusted. She trusted Daniel Whitehall the least of all, but she had no justification for removing him from the Small Council. Besides, with the war going on, she had no time to replace him, and she could not afford to have two empty seats. She just had to be grateful that Bruce Banner, Edwin Jarvis, and Heimdall had not abandoned Marvel to serve the Lords of their respective kingdoms of America, the Iron Lands, and Asgard. Then again, she knew they only stayed because she would have their heads cut off for treason if they tried to leave. 

“Have we received any news from the rebelling kingdoms, Lady Hunter?” Carol asked to start the meeting.

As the Master of Whispers, Bobbi Hunter had spies all over the Four Kingdoms. If anyone had received news of their enemies, it was her. 

“I have not received news from anywhere but The Shield in weeks.” Lady Hunter answered. 

“I suppose one loyal kingdom is better than none.” She remarked with a pointed look at Lord Coulson. She turned back to the Master of Whispers. “What was the last you heard of our enemies?”

“Lords Stark and Rogers were both last seen in their own kingdoms.” She explained. “I have heard rumors that both set sail to other lands, but I have no evidence to confirm that, nor any idea where they would have gone if they indeed did leave.” 

“And the Asgardians?”

“Thor has not been seen since Hydra attacked the Asgardian fleet. He is presumed dead, as is his brother.”

“Hydra’s takeover of Asgard has been tragic, but at least with both brothers dead, once we take care of Hydra, the kingdom will be back under our control.”

Carol could see the looks on all their faces. They thought she was paranoid about her enemies and that all she cared about was the war. They thought she had become cold and heartless. Maybe they even thought she was going mad. But she didn’t give a damn what they thought. She had to do whatever it took to protect her crown and her kingdom. And if that made her mad, then sobeit.    
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. I'll have more soonish. Thanks for reading! :)


	14. The Prophecy

Phil sat at the desk in his chambers, holding a letter sealed with the blue eagle of House Coulson. He had waited for weeks to hear from Daisy and Jemma. But when he opened the letter, he realized it wasn’t from his daughters. It was from Melinda. And she had written him with news he hoped he would never hear. 

_ “Dear Phil, _

_ Daisy and Jemma arrived in Triskelion today with a little girl they saved from Hydra. I agreed to take in the girl and her mother. But she is no ordinary child. She is a seer, and when Jemma saved her, she said, ‘ Z̀uuʄ bæwuch̀ lǔj̀ ʄǔrseg bee zǔch̀aa z̀uuʄ bâtchuup. _ ’ _ They know about the prophecy and they asked me about it. I told them what I know, which isn’t much. But I think they know you know more about it than I do. They may write to you and ask about the prophecy. And if they do, I would ask that you tell them whatever it is you found out about it. They know you think the prophecy is about one of them. They are confused and frightened, and I think a little bit hurt, especially Jemma. You were never honest with me about it, but please be honest with them.  _

_ We miss you very much. _

_ Love, _

_ Melinda,” _

He sighed and set the letter down. Melinda was right. Researching the prophecy had become an obsession for him in the months after he first heard it. And he had found out some things that he had never shared with her. Things that he had never shared with anyone. 

There were several different interpretations of the prophecy. The only thing they all had in common was that the woman in the prophecy would save the realm. Most of them said that the woman would be either a princess or some other noblewoman. But they all disagreed on the specifics of what she would do. On what would make her the “princess of darkness” and how exactly she would “bear the light.” He had read every known interpretation of the prophecy, but one in particular had stuck out to him, and had haunted him for years.

The story told of a troubled, young princess who, in order to save her kingdom from the ravages of war, would have to sacrifice the person most dear to her. And as he watched Daisy and Jemma grow up together, and saw how close they were, he started to fear that this was the version of the prophecy that was true, and that it referred to his own daughters. He prayed that wasn’t the case. He prayed that the prophecy had nothing to do with them. But if one of them was to be the princess of darkness, he prayed that it was Daisy. He hated himself for it, but if one of his daughters had to die, he hoped it was Jemma. 

He had never told Melinda any of this. He hadn’t wanted her to worry about it. And he didn’t want to admit aloud that he had chosen which of his daughters he would rather see killed. Not only did that make him a terrible father, he also couldn’t explain to anyone the reasons for his choice. He knew that Jemma had always thought he hated her because she was a bastard, but the truth was much more complicated than that. And he didn’t hate her. He had never hated her. He just had no idea how to handle her situation. 

Phil grabbed a blank sheet of paper and a quill, and tried to write a response. But he wasn’t sure what to say. He had kept the truth to himself for so long, that at this point, he didn’t know how to share it. But his daughters deserved to know everything, especially if the prophecy did indeed refer to one of them. They also deserved an apology from him for keeping all of this from them for so long. 

He sat for several minutes, trying to figure out what he wanted to write. But his thinking was interrupted by a knock at his chamber door. He looked up to see one of Queen Carol’s servants walk in.

“Her grace wishes to speak with you, my lord.” She told him. 

“Very well.” 

Phil set down the quill and followed the servant down to the queen’s solar. She was waiting for him at her table, looking irritated. 

“Lord Coulson,” She greeted him. “Do sit down.”

“You wanted to speak with me, your grace?” He questioned as he sat in the chair across from her. 

“I heard you received a raven from The Shield.” Queen Carol told him. “I need you to tell me exactly who it was from and what it said.”

His stomach dropped. The queen was the last person he wanted to tell about the prophecy. But he knew better than to try and lie to her. 

“There is an old prophecy originating from the northern coast of the island of Zephyr that recently resurfaced during a battle against Hydra.” He explained.

“And what is this prophecy?”

“Z̀uuʄ bæwuch̀ lǔj̀ ʄǔrseg bee zǔch̀aa z̀uuʄ bâtchuup.” Phil told her. “It means, ‘the princess of darkness shall bear the light.’”

“Were your daughters involved in this particular battle?” Queen Carol questioned.

“They were.” He confirmed.

“And let me guess, your family believes that the prophecy refers to one of them?” 

“We do.” He admitted.

“Did it ever occur to you that the prophecy might not refer to one of your daughters?” She asked. “That it might be about someone else entirely? After all, there are many women in the realm who could potentially be this ‘princess of darkness.’”

“And let me guess, you now think this prophecy refers to you, your grace?” 

“It could.” She answered. “It isn’t like your daughters were ever technically princesses.”

“Nor were you.” He retorted. “The only title you held before Queen was Commander of the King’s Guard.”

“Daisy holds the title of Lady of Zephyr and Jemma can never hold a title at all.” The queen countered. “Bring me any information you have about the prophecy. Perhaps we can figure it out together.”

“Yes, your grace.” He nodded.

This was exactly why he hadn’t wanted the queen to know about the prophecy. She was already bordering on madness. If she started to believe she was the princess of darkness, he feared it could send her over the edge entirely. And the realm could not afford a mad queen at a time like this.

*****

Peggy walked through the halls of the Wasp’s Nest with the Wasp Queen herself, Queen Hope van Dyne. They were only a few days away from setting sail for Wakanda. They were discussing how to perfect their battle plan, and what the best strategy would be when they invaded Marvel. She knew they would take Queen Carol by surprise. She would be prepared for the army of America, but she would have no way to prepare for the army of the Wildlands, and their advantage would be even greater if they got the Wakandans to ally with them. So in a few weeks, Peggy could be sitting on the Infinity Throne.

It still seemed surreal that she was not just Steve’s queen anymore. If they won, she would be the outright ruler of the Four Kingdoms. She would never in a million years have expected Steve to step aside for her, but he had. She was the queen. His bannermen now bent the knee to her. 

None of it seemed real. There were times where this country didn’t even seem real. But it was, and its people were fascinating. She had watched Queen Hope have messages delivered around the palace and around the city by her army of flying ants. She had seen the queen and her husband shrink to be small enough to ride the ants, not that the queen needed to since she had actual wings. She was an incredible woman, and Peggy could not be more grateful to her for the opportunity she was giving her. All she had ever wanted was to be recognized, and now she was finally getting that recognition. 

The two women were interrupted by the sound of footsteps trying to catch up to them. They stopped and turned around to see Lord Michael Carter, Peggy’s older brother, approaching them. 

“Your graces,” he greeted them with a bow. He smiled when he looked at Peggy, his eyes shining with pride. 

She was grateful that her brother was supportive of her new position. The gods knew Lords Wilson and Barnes had not been as eager to back Steve’s decision to hand the crown over to her. 

“What can we do for you, Michael?” She asked.

“The designs for your new crown are ready.” He informed her. “They need your approval before they can begin making it.”

“Is it not a little soon for a crown?” Peggy questioned. “I have not yet won the throne. I would not want to put the cart before the horse.”

“Nonsense,” Queen Hope interjected. “You are a queen, and you need a crown befitting one.” 

Peggy sighed and nodded.

“Is it alright if I go look at the designs now?” She asked the queen.

“Of course.” Queen Hope smiled. “We can continue our discussion later.”

Peggy followed her brother up to the quarters of their master of arms, who would construct the crown if she approved of its design. Steve was in the room waiting for her when they arrived, as were Lords Wilson and Barnes. The design had been sketched and painted on a sheet of paper that laid on the table. 

The proposed crown would be silver, inlaid with thousands of tiny white diamonds, accented with larger red rubies, as red and white were the colors of House Carter. In the center, was a large blue sapphire, to represent House Rogers, as well as the Kingdom of America as a whole. 

“This is beautiful.” She remarked. “But where would you get the materials necessary to make a crown like this?”

“You needn’t worry about such things, your grace.” The master of arms assured her. “We have made arrangements.”

“So do you approve of the design?” Steve asked. 

“It is truly a crown fit for a queen.”

“Is that a yes?” He questioned.

“Yes.” She nodded. “I approve.”

“Fantastic.” The master of arms remarked. “I will start making it right away.”

Peggy was still unsure of where they were to get that many jewels, but she had more pressing matters to attend to now, like returning to Queen Hope to finish their discussion of battle plans. She found the queen in her solar, sitting at her desk. 

“So did you approve of the crown?” The queen asked as she entered the room.

“I did.” Peggy told her, taking the seat across from her. “It was a bit extravagant for my taste, but I have more important things to worry about than a crown.”

“Speaking of important things, may I ask you a personal question?” 

“Sure.” Peggy shrugged. She couldn’t exactly refuse her. 

“Do you have an heir?” Queen Hope asked. “I have never heard either you or your husband mention a child.”

“The gods have not blessed Steve and I with a child yet.” She answered carefully. “But we have been trying.”

“What will you do about an heir if you never do have a child?” She questioned. 

“I am sure I can figure something out.” Peggy told her, wanting to put an end to this conversation as quickly as possible. 

“I apologize if this particular line of questioning made you uncomfortable, but if our campaign is successful, this is something you will need to think about.”

“I understand.” She nodded. “But speaking of our campaign, I believe we have some invasion plans to finalize.” 

“Indeed, we do.” 

The two queens talked for hours about battle plans, as well as other subjects. It was nice to be able to have a conversation just the two of them, without their husbands, bannermen, and generals around. Peggy didn’t have many women in her life to talk to. She had been surrounded by men since she was a teenager. She had forgotten what it was like to have a female friend. 

When Peggy made her way back to her chambers that evening, she tried to let the events of the day slip from her mind. She had never asked to be queen, and she certainly did not want to play the role all day and all night. But even as she laid down to sleep, she couldn’t stop thinking about battles or heirs, or even the crown. She was confident in her abilities as both a warrior and a leader. But that did not mean that she would be a good ruler. She knew that people would expect a lot from her from now on. And she knew that there were people who would root for her to fail. She knew that if she successfully took the Infinity Throne, she would have to lead the people of the Four Kingdoms through a difficult time. She just prayed she was the right person for the job. 

*****

Tony laid in bed with Pepper, trying and failing to fall asleep. He knew they were only a few days away from landing in Marvel, and although he tried to hide it, he could feel anxiety rising inside him. They might have the advantage of surprise, as well as greater numbers, but the army of House Fury was still the most experienced and feared military force in the realm. And Tony was not at all convinced the Iron Landers could defeat them, even with the help of the Wakandans. 

“Go to sleep, Tony.” Pepper told him softly.

“I have tried.” He replied. “But it seems that’s easier said than done.”

“How are we going to win this war if our king isn’t well-rested?” She pointed out. 

“Because we still have our queen.” He retorted. 

“You still need to sleep.” She cuddled up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, seeming to sense his worry. “It will be alright, Tony.”

“You cannot possibly know that.” He argued.

“I can.” She replied. “As long as we have each other, we will be fine.”

“And what if one or both of us are killed?” Tony questioned. “I can't live without you, Pepper.”

“And I can’t live without you. But we are not going to die. We’re going to win this war.”

He wondered if she really believed that or if she was just trying to ease his fears. But he didn’t really want to keep arguing with her. So instead, he held her as she fell asleep, and pretended to fall asleep with her. 

Tony was still awake when the sun came up the next morning. He gave Pepper a kiss on her forehead and gently shook her awake. 

“Good morning, Pepper.” He told her. 

“Good morning, Tony.” Pepper replied sleepily. “Did you get any sleep last night?”

“A few hours.” Tony lied. “But it is time to get up now.” 

They had a long day of preparations ahead of them. Every day their impending invasion of Marvel seemed a little more real and a little more frightening. He was sure that his men were ready. He just wasn’t sure if he was. 

The two of them got dressed and went out to the upper decks, where King T’Challa and General Okoye were already waiting for them. A few moments later, Lord Rhodes, Lord Strange, and Lord Potts joined them, followed by Peter and Princess Shuri. The young prince and princess had little say in the planning process, but they had all agreed that they should have the experience. One day, they were going to need it. 

After breakfast and a brief meeting, Tony and King T’Challa split up the soldiers on their ship into training groups led by General Okoye and Lord Rhodes. There was only a very small percentage of their troops on this ship, but the other ships had their own leaders and training schedules. Lord Strange, Lord Potts, Peter, and Shuri all joined the training, while Tony, Pepper, and T’Challa headed to the lower decks.

“We are merely days away from reaching Marvel.” T’Challa informed them as they sat down around the table in their quarters. “At this rate, we should arrive in Pegasus Bay late in the evening three days from now, under the cover of darkness.”

Pegasus Bay was the easiest entrance point for a fleet of ships to the city of Marvel. It was located on the north side of the island, so the most direct route to it from Wakanda would’ve been to sail northwest, past The Shield. However, since The Shield had remained loyal to Queen Carol, they had to travel directly west from Wakanda, past the Iron Lands, and then north past America. The detour added about two days to the journey, but it gave them a better shot at safe passage. They had worried that they may be blocked by the Americans when their fleet sailed past the kingdom, but so far, there had been no sign of the American navy. 

“It appears that everything is going as planned so far.” Pepper remarked.

“But something will inevitably go wrong.” Tony replied.

“Tony, stop being so pessimistic.” She argued. “There is absolutely no way Queen Carol will see this attack coming. No one even knows we went to Wakanda.”

“I am not being pessimistic.” He retorted. “I am simply being a realist. There is no way our invasion will go perfectly.”

“Perfect or not, we can win this battle.” T’Challa interjected. “The worst thing we can do is to allow our fears to get in our heads. We have to be confident. Because if we go into this with the attitude that this will be a disaster, it will be. We must have faith.”

“T’Challa is right.” Pepper agreed. “If we are going to defeat the forces of House Fury, we must have faith that we can.”

Tony nodded, not wanting to destroy their confidence. There were things that the two of them did not seem to be considering. There was a chance that someone could have found out they had allied with the Wakandans and sent word to Marvel. It seemed unlikely given how isolated of a nation Wakanda was, but it was still possible. It was also possible that Queen Carol’s troops were so prepared for an invasion that they would not be shaken if more invaders came than anticipated. And it was also possible that her army could be larger than expected if she had forced The Shield to send troops, although he had heard nothing about that happening. 

But he decided to keep his worries to himself. His worries were all admittedly unlikely scenarios. And they had a point. It was best for them and their troops to be as confident as possible heading into this battle. They would have a much better chance of victory if they believed they could win than if they did not. He just wished he could share in their confidence. 

*****

Loki walked toward the border to Jotunheim in the cover of darkness. He had been traveling by foot for almost a fortnight in the frigid wilderness of Yggdrasil. The vast expanse between the city of Asgard and the country of Jotunheim was under the protection of Asgard, but was ruled by no one. It was no man’s land, containing only five isolated villages to break up the empty tundra. He had only passed through the villages of Midgard, Muspelheim, and Nidavellir on his journey, as Niflheim and Alfheim were not located on the route he had taken. 

Of the four continents that intersected to create the Four Kingdoms of Xandar, Yggdrasil was by far the least populated, due to its harsh climate and terrain. The only country on the continent was Jotunheim, the nation of the frost giants, which took up the entire western half of the continent north of no man’s land. The only other major settlements besides Asgard were the city-states of Vanaheim and Hel, which were both located north of no man’s land in the western portion, on the coast of the Arrow Sea. The settlements of the continent were connected by two sparsely traveled roads. Midgard, Muspelheim, and Nidavellir were on the road from Asgard to Jotunheim, while Niflheim and Alfheim were on the road connecting Asgard and Vanaheim, which continued on to Hel further north on the coast. 

Loki was close enough now to see the frost giant guards stationed at the border. He wasn’t on any kind of official mission, and given the relationship between Asgard and Jotunheim, he figured they wouldn’t be too keen on letting in an Asgardian stranger, even if said stranger was a prince. He would have to sneak into the country. The landscape here was an almost barren tundra, with very few trees or bushes to use as cover. But thanks to Frigga, he didn’t need a forest to hide in. All he had to do was use his invisibility. 

He almost laughed out loud when he was able to walk right past the guards without them seeing. But he had to stay silent. He was invisible, but they would still be able to hear him if he made noise. 

He continued up the road, heading toward the capital of Jotunheim, Borg ór Forn Vetr, which translated to Fortress of Ancient Winters. He had never been there before, although he had seen enough maps of the country to have a general idea of where he was going. The city was located in the more populous southern region of the country, so he figured he couldn’t be more than a day or two away. But he would have to remain invisible for that whole time, to avoid being stopped on the road by any local authorities. 

Loki kept walking for hours. He needed to make it to the capital as soon as possible, and he wasn’t going to stop unless he absolutely had to. He didn’t have time to rest. His people needed help and they needed it yesterday. The frost giants could be Asgard’s last chance to defeat Hydra and take the throne back from Hela. The fate of his kingdom may very well rest on his shoulders. 

After a day and a half of walking, he finally reached Borg ór Forn Vetr. He had only stopped to rest once, for maybe an hour, and he was exhausted. But he could sleep when Asgard was safe. 

The sun was setting over the city, and it was a breathtaking sight. The buildings all seemed to be made of ice, and the streets were filled with tall, blue people. He had never been to this city before, but it felt strangely familiar. He almost felt like he was at home. But he couldn’t allow himself to get comfortable. His people were suffering, and he had to find a way to convince the frost giants to put aside centuries of war and hatred and help them, which would be no easy task. He might be a brilliant sorcerer, but he was no diplomat. 

Loki walked toward the castle that sat at the northern edge of the city. It was the structure the city was named for, and he could understand why. It resembled a fortress more than a palace, which made sense, given that the frost giants had a highly militarized society. The high walls were made of smooth stone and ice, which would be difficult to scale. But since he was invisible, he wouldn’t have to. He could just walk through the front gates without anyone seeing him. 

The inside of the castle was no warmer than the city outside, and it was no less dreary than the castle’s outer walls. But somehow it felt strangely comfortable. It struck him as odd that he felt a sense of belonging in this foreign land he had never even visited before. But he had no time to wonder why that could be. He needed to find King Laufey and convince him to help the Asgardians defeat Hydra. 

He made his way through the castle until he reached the throne room, where King Laufey sat in silence with a guard standing on either side of him. Loki was sure King Laufey was the largest man he had ever seen. He looked so alien, but like everything else in this strange country, he still somehow seemed familiar. Like he had met him before, but just couldn’t remember it. 

Once Loki was standing directly in front of the throne, he finally ended his invisibility spell. The king looked stunned to suddenly see a man where there wasn’t one before. It was a reaction Loki had seen many times throughout his life. 

“Who are you?” King Laufey demanded. “How did you get in my castle?”

“I am Prince Loki of Asgard.” He introduced himself. The King’s eyes widened. “I got in using magic.”

“Prince Loki?” The king looked confused. “What are you doing here?”

“You may have heard that Hydra has taken over the city of Asgard.” Loki explained. “I came to ask for your help in defeating them. Our two nations have a long history of war and bloodshed, however, I am hoping that we can put an end to that and form an alliance. Jotunheim may be Asgard’s only chance at survival. And if I know my sister, it will only be a matter of time until she and her soldiers get bored and decide to conquer lands further north as well.”

“Hydra will never be able to conquer Jotunheim.” King Laufey replied. “And I will never lift a finger to help the Kingdom of Asgard. You should understand that better than anyone.”

Now it was Loki’s turn to be confused. 

“I’m afraid I don’t understand your meaning.” 

“You don’t know, do you?” 

“Know what?” Loki asked.

“You aren’t an Asgardian at all.” The king revealed. “You are my son." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're enjoying this so far. My semester at college is coming to an end, so hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter out slightly faster. Thanks for reading! :)


	15. Best Laid Plans

Peter stood among the soldiers of his father’s army, looking over the railing of the ship. It was too dark to see much, but he knew what was out there. They were sailing into Pegasus Bay, and they were merely moments away from invading the city of Marvel. He was sure he had never been this terrified in his entire life. But he had been trained well, and the combined armies of the Iron Lands and Wakanda were well prepared for this battle. He had prayed to the gods for this invasion to go well, and now, he needed to have faith that it would. 

The fleet of ships anchored near the shore and the ramps were lowered. The troops charged through the shallow water and onto the decks of the port. They had never been completely sure how prepared Queen Carol would be for their invasion, and even landing they still weren’t. But if the battle near the port was anything to go by, the troops of House Fury were woefully unprepared. Given how few guards were stationed on the docks, it started off as more of a massacre than a battle. The initial fight lasted less than a minute before he followed his father’s troops inland, leaving the bodies of a couple dozen guards behind. 

As their army flooded the streets of the city, Queen Carol’s troops came out to greet them. He scaled the closest building to get a better look at what was going on below. His eyes eventually settled on a Wakandan soldier not too far away from him who was completely surrounded by soldiers of House Fury. Peter stood up and drew his sword before leaping down from the building to help. There were six soldiers surrounding them, but the two of them were able to kill them and escape with only a few scars. When they were defeated, the Wakandan soldier nodded at him before disappearing into the fray of the battle. 

Peter fought his way through the crowd, killing a few more of Queen Carol’s soldiers along the way. He had never killed anyone. He had never even fought in a real battle before. He worried that the lives he took tonight would haunt him later, but he could not afford to dwell on that now. That was a problem for after the battle. 

When he had made his way across the street, he climbed to the rooftop of another building to judge where he would be the most useful. From his vantage point, he could see the last of the troops of the Iron Lands and Wakanda entering the battle, led by his parents and King T’Challa. He could also see more of House Fury’s army coming from the direction of the castle, led by Queen Carol herself. She had a large force, but as they had predicted, she was far outnumbered. 

He lept down from the rooftop and into the fray, landing next to Princess Shuri. She smiled when she saw him.

“Finally joining the battle, I see.” She remarked, never stopping fighting. 

“I have been here the whole time.” He retorted. 

For several minutes, the two of them fought side by side, dispelling any enemy soldiers who attacked them. He quickly lost track of how long he had been fighting or how many men he had killed. In that moment, none of it mattered. All that mattered was winning the war. 

Eventually, the Iron Landers and Wakandans began to advance, pushing Queen Carol’s army back toward the castle. He was only aware of what was happening directly around him, but he knew that was a good sign. They were overwhelming her. 

After that point, everything seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. Before he knew it, a horn was sounded, signaling Queen Carol’s surrender. The remaining soldiers of House Fury began to flee the battlefield, running in the direction of the sea, on the opposite shore from Pegasus Bay. He scaled a building to see them boarding a ship docked on that shore, led by Queen Carol herself. The battle was over and his father’s army had won.

From his spot on the roof, he looked out at the streets they had just battled in. The once gray stones were now red with blood, and the roads were littered with the bodies of soldiers, most of them in the orange and black armor of House Fury. He briefly wondered how many of them he had killed himself. But he pushed that thought aside. It didn’t matter. He had killed them for a worthy cause, and he needed to focus on that. 

He looked in the direction of the castle, and saw his parents and King T’Challa standing at the gates. Their bannermen and generals were gathering around them, starting to celebrate their victory. He saw Princess Shuri making her way towards them and leaped down from the rooftop to join her. 

“We won the battle.” Shuri remarked. “Your parents are the king and queen now.”

“They are.” He nodded, trying to sound excited. 

“And you are now the heir to the throne.”

“I am.”

“You don’t seem very happy about it.” She noticed.

“I am happy.” Peter insisted. “I’m just still in a bit of shock, I guess.”

Ahead of them, he could see the new king and queen starting to make their way to the castle. They picked up their pace and walked the rest of the way to Providence in silence. 

When they reached the castle, they found the crowd gathering in the great hall. At the end of it stood the Infinity Throne. It was even more incredible in person that he had imagined. He watched as Mother took Father’s hand and led him towards it, while their bannermen poured ale for the gathering soldiers. His father sat down on the throne, never letting go of his mother’s hand as she stood beside him. King T’Challa grabbed a mug of ale and lifted it in their direction.

“Long live the Phoenix King and the Dragon Queen!” He shouted.

“Long live the Phoenix King and the Dragon Queen!” The crowd echoed. 

Peter gave a bittersweet smile as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. They had won the war. But he feared he had lost his innocence. 

*****

Thor finally stood up after what seemed like weeks of sitting cramped on the lower decks of the ship to Jotunheim. He groaned as he used a crate to help him.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby.” Valkyrie teased. “We have a tyrant to overthrow. A crown to retake. We don’t have time for your whining.”

“Well, I’m sorry I don’t fit down here as easily as you do.” He retorted. “In case you had not noticed, I am a rather large man.”

She rolled her eyes. 

“That better not be a euphemism.” She replied. “Now come on.”

Thor followed her out of the storage room and through the lower decks of the ship. They kept themselves pressed against the walls as best they could, hoping to sneak off without being noticed. They had made it this far; it would be a shame to get caught now. 

They made it to the upper deck without being seen, but they quickly realized it was going to be hard to get off the ship without anyone noticing. The deck had far too many frost giant workers for them to escape without getting caught.

“What do we do?” He whispered to Valkyrie, as they hid behind a pile of crates.

“We swim.” She answered. 

Valkyrie ran to the railing and jumped over the side, and he followed her as quickly as he could. The water was freezing, and it took him a moment to get his bearings. She was a much stronger swimmer than he was, but he managed to reach the shore soon after she did. He was proud of himself as he climbed out of the water, but his victory was short-lived. They were greeted on land by two soldiers. 

“Who are you?” The first soldier demanded. “And why were you stowing away on one of our ships?”

“We were just trying to get home.” Thor answered, panicking. 

“This is not your home.” The second soldier pointed out. “This is Jotunheim. Surely you noticed that the crew of the ship were frost giants when you snuck in. Who sent you to spy on us?”

“We are not spies.” Valkyrie assured them. 

“Then why are you here?” The first soldier asked. 

“We are Asgardian.” Thor told them, against his better judgement. “Hydra would kill us if we landed on a ship in Asgard, so we had to get there through Jotunheim. We mean no harm.”

“If you are so unwelcome in Asgard, then why are you going back?” The second soldier questioned. 

“Because as the rightful King of Asgard, it is my duty to defeat Hydra and protect my people.” He answered. 

“You are Thor.” The first soldier realized. He motioned for a few other soldiers. “Take these two to King Laufey in Borg ór Forn Vetr. He will want to see them.”

The other soldiers grabbed Thor and Valkyrie and arrested them, dragging them along the road with them. 

“Nice going, idiot.” Valkyrie remarked. “Why would you tell them the truth?”

“I am not a good liar.” Thor defended himself. 

“That is why you should have let me do the talking.”

“Well they have not killed us, so that might be a good sign, right?”

“Not necessarily.” She pointed out. “They may have something worse than death in mind for us.”

The frost giant soldiers loaded Thor and Valkyrie into the back of a wagon for transporting prisoners. He sighed in frustration. This was definitely not how things were supposed to happen. They should be on their way to Asgard to defeat Hydra, not being taken to see the King of Jotunheim. But there they were, because he had screwed up. How was he supposed to overthrow his sister if he was unable to even get off a ship without being caught? 

Thor and Valkyrie were the only prisoners in the wagon, and they rode in silence. They could not risk giving more of their plans away to a potential enemy than he already had, and they had little else to talk about. 

It took the wagon about a day to reach Borg ór Forn Vetr. It was a miserable ride. The cage provided little shelter from the cold, and their captors did not give them anything to eat. He tried to sleep, but he was too uncomfortable and worried to really settle down. He was partially relieved when they reached the capital city, if only because he could get out of the wagon. But he dreaded meeting King Laufey more than he wanted to be able to eat or sleep. Not to mention, he had no idea if they would be treated any better as prisoners in the castle than they were in the wagon. 

The wagon stopped in front of the gates of the dreary looking castle at the center of the city. The soldiers opened the door of their cage and dragged them out. They were led through the castle in chains, garnering stares from the guards inside. 

The soldiers led them all the way up to the great hall, where King Laufey was sitting on his throne. He laughed when he saw Thor enter the room. 

“Now this is a welcome surprise.” He remarked.

Thor was tempted to spit at him, but he figured it might be best to try and get on the king’s good side. 

“King Thor and his knight were found attempting to sneak off a ship in one of our ports, your grace.” One of the soldiers informed him. 

“Bring my son in here.” King Laufey commanded them. “He is going to want to see this.”

A few of the guards in the room nodded and left to go fetch the king’s son. Thor stood there confused. He couldn’t remember any mention of the King of Jotunheim having a son. He wondered why he had never heard of him before.

A couple of minutes passed in awkward silence before the doors opened again. The guards re-entered the room, leading a man behind them. Thor’s jaw dropped, and he looked over to see Valkyrie equally stunned. The man being led into the great hall was Loki. 

*****

Steve looked over the railing of a ship at the waters of the Wakandan Strait. In the distance, he could see the shores of Wakanda. The armies of America and the Wildlands had spent the last week sailing across the Iron Sea, and they were now mere hours from their destination. On the outside, he tried to project confidence in their mission, but on the inside, he was unsure of how this would go. He felt a growing sense of apprehension, but it was far too late to turn back now. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peggy walk up to the railing to stand beside him. He looked at her and gave her a small smile. She was wearing an elaborate red gown with silver accents, as well as the dazzling crown that had been designed and made for her. She had initially wanted to wear her armor when they arrived in Wakanda, since they were unsure of how welcoming the Wakandans would be. But he and their bannermen had insisted that she should wear something more befitting of a queen. She had been hesitant, but after a fair bit of argument, she finally agreed that a gown might seem more diplomatic. 

“With the Wakandans on our side, we truly would be unstoppable.” Peggy remarked. 

“The Infinity Throne would be yours.” Steve agreed. 

“But what if this doesn’t go our way?” She asked. “What if the Wakandans refuse to ally with us?”

“Then we will find a way to win the war without them.” He assured her. “Our forces plus those of the Wildlands should be enough to defeat House Fury.”

“Then why go to Wakanda at all?” She questioned. “I understand that their support would be advantageous, but if we don’t absolutely need them…,”

“What brought this on?” He asked her. “What do you know?”

She furrowed her brows at his question.

“I don’t know anything.” She replied. “I just have a bad gut feeling about this.”

“We are not in Wakanda yet.” He reminded her. “We could still turn the ships around. But I don’t think we should. You are stronger than that.”

She nodded, but said nothing else. 

At first, when the ships docked on the shores of Wakanda, Steve saw no one on land. But as Peggy and Queen Hope led the bannermen and some of the troops to the beach, people started to emerge from the jungle, presumably from the Jabari tribe, who lived near the coast. A man who appeared to be the leader of the tribe approached Peggy.

“Igama lam ndinguPeggy, uKumkanikazi woBukumkani baseMelika, kwaye le nguKumkanikazi iThemba leWildlands.” Steve wasn’t sure what she was saying, but he assumed she was introducing them. He was not necessarily surprised that she had been studying Wakandan, but he had not expected her to speak it so well.

“Ufunantoni?” The tribe leader demanded.

“Sikhankasela ukubhukuqa uKumkanikazi uCarol, kwaye sithathe iiKumkani ezine zikaXandar kulawulo lwakhe lobuzwilakhe. Akanalungelo kwiTrone engapheliyo. Ndim ukumkanikazi oyinyani wezikumkani ezine.” Peggy answered calmly.

“Mnye kuphela ukumkanikazi oyinyani wezikumkani ezine zaseXandar.” He replied. “Long live the Phoenix King and the Dragon Queen!”

The tribesmen behind him took up the cry.

“Long live the Phoenix King and the Dragon Queen!”

Peggy and Queen Hope exchanged a startled look. 

“I was right about this.” Peggy whispered in Steve’s ear. “We should never have come. We need to leave.”

“Get out of here!” The Jabari leader warned them. “Before we show you what happens to those who pretend to be rulers.”

“Why don’t we show you what happens to those who call our Queen a pretender?” Lord Wilson suggested.

Before anyone could step in to stop him, Lord Wilson charged at the tribe’s leader. The beach soon became a battleground, as more troops from the ships flooded the shores. More Wakandan warriors came out from the jungle to greet them. 

The battle was quick and bloody. The Americans and Wildlanders could not afford to send all their troops to the beach, or even half of them. They had more battles to fight, and this one was already lost. The Wakandans far outnumbered their soldiers, and it was only a matter of minutes before they were sent fleeing back to the ships in retreat. 

Steve was among the last to flee the beach. As he made his way to the ship, he turned around to survey the damage that had been done to their army. The sand was now red with blood, and the ground was littered with bodies, most of them Americans or Wildlanders. The majority of the Wakandan warriors had left the beach now too, with only a few staying behind to collect the bodies of their dead. Kneeling next to a body in the middle of the beach was Peggy, her shoulders shaking with sobs. 

He made his way over to his wife and knelt down beside her. In front of them lay the dead body of her brother, Michael Carter, the Lord of Britannia. He had been stabbed through the abdomen, his blood staining the ground around him, as well as Peggy’s hands and dress. 

“I am so sorry.” Steve told her quietly. “I know how close you were to him.”

He tried to wrap a comforting arm around her, but she pushed him away. 

“Shut up.” She snapped. “Just go back to the ship.”

“I am not leaving until you come with me.” He replied.

“I will not leave him.” Peggy insisted. 

“We have to go.” He reached out and offered her his hand. “Now come on.”

“But Michael,”

“We will take his body with us and give him a proper burial.” He promised. “But we have to leave. The ships are waiting for us.”

She nodded and took his hand, letting him guide her to her feet. He knelt back down to pick up her brother’s body. She walked beside him as he carried the body back to the ship. They would have to return to the Wildlands to regroup and recover from their defeat. It would be a while now before they were ready to invade Marvel. 

*****

Daisy walked the grounds of the Hub, making her way through the castle’s gardens. This was one of the few moments that she had truly had to herself in the past weeks, so she was taking advantage of the opportunity to clear her mind.

She and Jemma had been in Triskellion for a couple of weeks, spending time with their mother and trying to decipher what they had learned about the prophecy. At the request of Rosalind, they had also been getting their mother involved with the fight against Hydra, in the hopes that she could lead a unit to take out Hydra on Hala. 

Daisy had not had much contact with the outside world during her time in Triskelion, although she had received a few ravens from Zephyr, including one carrying a letter from Grant. She had been getting closer to him in the time before she left, and she was glad that he was not letting the distance come between them. She was also glad that she would be coming home to see him very soon. 

She and Jemma were set to begin the journey back to Tahiti in two days. It had been wonderful to spend time with their mother, but they both had responsibilities back in Zephyr. 

Daisy heard footsteps walking up to her from behind, and turned around to see a man she did not recognize. On instinct, she quaked him, sending him flying back a few feet. The man scrambled to stand back up, clearly shaken.

“My lady, I apologize if I startled you.” He told her. “I was sent by Lady Coulson to fetch you. She has received a raven from Lord Coulson, and she wishes to discuss it with you and your sister urgently.”

She nodded, realizing this man was simply a servant of her mother’s, and not an attacker. 

“I will be right in.” She replied. “Oh, and I apologize for quaking you.”

“Apology accepted.” 

Daisy followed the servant inside the castle and up to the solar where Mother and Jemma were waiting for her. 

“You wanted to see me?” Daisy asked as she entered the room. She sat down in the chair next to Jemma. 

“Yes.” Mother nodded. “After the two of you arrived in Triskelion, I wrote a letter to your father, telling him that you found out about the prophecy and asking him to tell us everything he knows.”

“And he wrote back?” Jemma questioned.

“He did.” Mother confirmed. 

“What did he say?” Daisy inquired.

“I think you should read it for yourselves.” She replied, handing them the letter. 

  
  


_ “Dear Melinda, Daisy, and Jemma, _

_ The information in this letter is something I should have told you about a long time ago, and I am deeply sorry that I did not. I simply did not know how to explain it, and I hoped I would never have to. But now you all know about the prophecy, and you deserve to know the truth.  _

_ I have done a lot of research on the prophecy in the years since I first heard it. There are a lot of theories about what it means, but what they all agree on is that the woman in the prophecy, most likely a princess or some other noblewoman, will save the realm from the ravages of war. The theories do not agree on how she will save the realm, or why she is called the ‘princess of darkness.’ One of the most common theories is that in order to save the realm, she will have to sacrifice the person most dear to her.  _

_ I know that you are all scared that the prophecy refers to one of you. It is a fear that I share. But whatever happens, I know we can get through it together. You are all incredibly strong, and I am very proud of all of you.  _

_ I miss you all very much.  _

_ Love, _

_ Phil,” _

Daisy laid the letter on the table, trying to digest what she had just read. Trying to figure out what it all meant. But a sigh from Jemma interrupted her thoughts. 

“So this is why Father hates me.” She remarked, turning towards Daisy. “Why he fears the prophecy being about me. He thinks that if I am the princess of darkness that I am going to kill his precious favorite daughter. Which must obviously be why he hopes the prophecy is about you. He would rather you kill me than the other way around.”

Jemma stood up and stormed out of the room before anyone could reply.

“Jemma,” Mother called after her.

“I will go after her.” Daisy told her.

She got out of her chair and followed her sister out of the room. She caught up to her in the hallway, just before she reached the stairs, grabbing her arm to stop her.

“What do you want?” Jemma snapped as she turned around. Tears were streaming down her face. 

“I just want to talk to you.” She replied calmly. 

“Why?” She asked. “Shouldn’t you be afraid of me now, too?”

“I could never be afraid of you.” Daisy assured her, pulling her into a hug, which she immediately returned. “I know you would never do anything to harm me. And I would never do anything to harm you. We are sisters. And no prophecy is going to change that.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Of course I am sure.” She told her. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Now come back to the solar so we can talk about this. You worried Mother when you ran off like that. She loves you like you were her own, you know that right?”

“I do.” She nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks. 

“Good.” She smiled. “Because sometimes, I think between the two of us, you might be her favorite.”

“No, I am not.” Jemma replied. “She does not have a favorite.”

Daisy smiled as she led Jemma back to the solar, where Mother was waiting for them. 

“Are you alright?” She asked Jemma when she walked in.

“I am.” She told her as they retook their seats across from her. “I feel better now.”

“I am glad to hear that.” Mother remarked. “Because I think the three of us need to put our heads together and figure out what this really means. I think your father is wrong. I do not think that one of you is going to have to kill the other. There must be a better explanation. So let’s figure it out.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that. I’ll have more soonish. Thanks for reading! :)


	16. Adjustments

Peggy stared numbly over the railing of the ship at the seemingly endless expanse of sea in front of her. It had been nearly a week since Michael had been killed. After she had boarded the ship that day, she had spent hours locked in her quarters, refusing to let anyone else in. She had cried until she physically couldn’t anymore. She had spent the next few days sobbing on and off. Now, she had settled into grief-stricken numbness.

Part of her couldn’t help but think that what happened was her fault. She had been woefully unprepared for what unfolded in Wakanda. One moment, she had been speaking with a tribal leader, and the next moment her troops were charging into battle. And because she had been convinced that she needed to appear diplomatic, she was wearing a dress and a crown instead of armor. When she returned to the ship, she had taken the crown off and had been tempted to break the damn thing. She had refused to put it on since. 

“Your grace,” A voice from beside her startled her out of her thoughts. She turned her head to see a servant of Queen Hope standing next to her. “Queen Hope would like to speak with you in her quarters.”

Peggy nodded and followed the servant to a room on the lower deck of the ship, where Queen Hope was waiting for her, along with Prince Scott and Steve. Previously, Lord Barnes and Lord Wilson had been present at meetings like this, but after Lord Wilson had instigated the battle in Wakanda, Peggy had banned them from attending any future strategy meetings. Steve could relay any relevant information to his bannermen later. She no longer trusted them. Things with Steve had been a little tense over the last few days over her decision. He was vocally unhappy, but she hoped that he understood why she had done it. 

She took her seat next to Steve, with Queen Hope and Prince Scott sitting across from them. 

“What is this about?” She asked them. 

“It’s about you.” Queen Hope answered. “We are all concerned about you. I know that you are grieving, and I am deeply sorry for the loss of your brother. But you cannot forget that many of your men also lost friends and brothers in Wakanda. They are grieving too. And they will need your strength. You are their queen.”

“I confess I do not feel like much of a queen right now.” Peggy replied. “Nor do I feel very strong.”

“You are both.” Queen Hope insisted. “And your people need to see that. They are looking to you for strength and leadership. You cannot afford to let them down.”

“I know.” She nodded. 

“Do you?” Steve questioned. “Because you have not been acting like it. You should not need reminding that we have no room for errors. No room to screw up. This cause is far too important.”

“Then perhaps you should have made that clear to Lord Wilson before we arrived in Wakanda.” She snapped.

“He was acting in your defense.” He argued.

“I did not ask him to! Nor did I want him to!” She yelled. “We should have retreated the moment we realized the Wakandans were allied with the Iron Landers. Who am I kidding? We should never have gone to Wakanda at all.”

“We had no way of knowing what would happen.”

“No, but we both had bad feelings about it.” She pointed out. “We should have listened to our guts. My brother would still be alive if we had.”

Their argument was interrupted by a knock on the door. 

“Come in.” Queen Hope called.

One of her servants walked in the room, carrying a letter.

“Ufbontwanhê klê mu, kwu law’.”  _ A raven came for you, your grace.  _ She told her, handing her the letter. 

“Ow, fli kêdi.”  _ Oh my gods.  _ Queen Hope muttered as she read it. 

“What does it say?” Peggy asked.

“The Iron Landers have taken Marvel.” She informed them. “They invaded with the Wakandans and defeated Queen Carol. King Tony and Queen Pepper now sit on the Infinity Throne.”

Peggy sighed, her argument with Steve forgotten for now. This was a much bigger problem. For several moments, the four of them sat quietly, digesting the news they had just learned. Finally, she broke the silence.

“So what do we do?” She asked.

“Honestly, I am not sure.” Queen Hope replied. 

“This certainly is not good news for our campaign.” Steve remarked, stating the obvious. “Instead of facing one army, we now have to face two.”

“We have two armies as well.” Prince Scott pointed out. “Although our forces are now slightly depleted, all hope is not lost.”

“But this will set back our plans even more.” Peggy argued. “We already have to go back to the Wildlands to recuperate. Now, that recuperation will take even longer, because our forces need to be stronger than they were before we went to Wakanda. The Iron Landers had the strongest army in the Four Kingdoms to begin with. With the Wakandans fighting alongside them, we may need another ally to defeat them.”

“Could we get another ally?” Steve questioned.

“Perhaps, but we would have to travel much farther than is likely reasonable, and we still run the risk of being told no.” Queen Hope answered. “So we must find a way to defeat them on our own.” 

“After the disaster in Wakanda, it would have been weeks before our armies were ready to take on the forces of House Fury.” Peggy reminded them. “It could be months before they are ready to take on both the Iron Landers and the Wakandans.” 

“We cannot afford to wait that long.” Steve said.

“Then we need to come up with a new plan.” Queen Hope told them. “And we need to come up with one fast.”

Almost an hour later, Peggy left the meeting feeling completely defeated. They had all racked their brains to devise a magical new plan to take the Infinity Throne. But none of them could come up with anything. The only thing they could do was return to the Wildlands to regain their strength, and hope that would be enough to win the war. 

*****

Jemma walked through the doors of Zephyr alongside Daisy for the first time in almost three weeks. She had been sad to leave Lady Melinda in Triskelion, but it was good to be home, and she was looking forward to seeing Fitz again. 

She had been expecting Fitz to greet her at the door, but he was nowhere to be seen. The only person waiting for them was one of the servants.

“Do you know where Fitz is?” She asked him.

“He is out right now, my lady. ” The servant answered. “He asked me to tell you he will be back this evening.”

“Perhaps he is planning a surprise for you.” Daisy suggested, trying to ease her disappointment.

“Maybe, but I do not want to get my hopes up.” Jemma replied. “Fitz has never been the most romantic person.”

“Fitz may not be, but Grant is. Or at least he tries.” She remarked. “He asked me to meet him when I got back, so I need to go. Tell Fitz hello for me.”

“I will.”

Jemma walked upstairs to her bedchamber alone and laid down on her bed to take a nap while she waited for Fitz to return. After a while, she was awoken by a knock at her door. She was not sure how long she had been asleep, but judging by the amount of sunlight streaming through the curtains, it had not been long. 

“Come in,” she called as she sat up, hoping it was Fitz. 

It was not. Instead, a servant walked in.

“A raven came for you, my lady.” She told her, handing her a letter sealed with the sigil of House Fury. 

Jemma broke the seal and opened the letter. 

_ “Dear Lady Daisy and Lady Jemma, _

_ You may or may not have heard that Marvel was invaded by House Stark. They attacked with the army of Wakanda and drove us out. Lord and Lady Stark have now claimed the infinity throne. Your father and I both survived the battle unharmed and are now sailing for Triskelion to seek refuge.  _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Queen Carol,” _

“Fetch Lady Daisy immediately.” Jemma commanded the servant.

“Yes, my lady.” The servant nodded and rushed out of the room.

About twenty minutes later, the servant returned with Daisy. Fitz walked in behind them.

“You may go.” She ordered the servant. 

She nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind her. 

“What is it?” Daisy asked. “What’s going on?”

“Is something wrong?” Fitz questioned. 

“Read this.” She handed the letter to Daisy.

Daisy’s eyes widened as she read it.

“Oh my gods.” 

“What is it?” Fitz asked again. “Can I read it?”

“Only if you tell me where you were.” Jemma retorted. “And why you were not here when I returned.”

“I went to the market.” He told her. “Now tell me what the hell is going on.”

Daisy handed him the letter. 

“Well, that is certainly an interesting turn of events.” He remarked. “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t think there’s much we can do.” Jemma replied. “Unless Queen Carol commands us to redirect our forces to help her reclaim her throne, our focus should remain on fighting Hydra.”

“Jemma is right.” Daisy agreed. “Defeating Hydra is too important to let this distract us. Father is safe, and that is all I really care about. As long Hydra is still a threat, it doesn't matter who sits on the Infinity Throne. The people of the realm will never be safe.”

“What if Queen Carol does command us to send our troops to reclaim the throne?” Fitz questioned. 

“Then we will do it.” Daisy told him. “We won’t have a choice. She will execute us if we refuse. House Coulson bent the knee to her when the war started. She will expect us to fight with her if she asks us to.”

“Well, then I think that settles this conversation.” Jemma remarked. 

“Yes.” Daisy nodded. “Although we should probably send a raven to Father to let him know that we are relieved he is safe.”

Jemma nodded in agreement and Daisy left her and Fitz alone together. He sat down beside her on the bed and tried to take her hand, but she pulled it away.

“What’s the matter?” He asked.

“Where were you today?” She questioned.

“I already told you I was at the market.” 

“Could it not have waited until after I got home? We could have gone together.”

“I’m sorry.” Fitz told her. “But I did get you something.”

“What is it?”

“A gift that I bought from a jewelry vendor.” He explained, reaching into his pocket.

He pulled out a beautiful bracelet of sapphires and diamonds.

“Oh, Fitz, it’s gorgeous.” Jemma gasped. “Thank you.”

She reached out her arm and he clasped the bracelet around her wrist.

“You’re welcome.” He replied. “It looks even more stunning on you than I thought it would.”

She blushed and he leaned over and kissed her passionately. 

“I missed you so much.” She whispered when he finally pulled away. 

“I missed you too.” Fitz told her. 

“Pǔp rujfet.”  _ I love you.  _

“Pǔp rujfet uukta.”  _ I love you too.  _ He kissed her again, sweeter this time.

She deepened the kiss and he laid her down on the bed. As they made out, she felt the world around her fade away. In that moment, the problems outside the castle walls no longer mattered. All that mattered was in that room. And she found herself forgetting about Hydra and the civil war. She was only thinking about the two of them.

Fitz was the love of her life. He was her shoulder to cry on and her rock to lean on. She was so much happier with him than she had been before she met him. With him by her side, she knew she could get through anything. She could fight any battle, defeat any enemy, and solve any problem that came her way. She had no idea what she would do if he ever left her. She just knew that she could never live without him. 

*****

Loki walked through the halls of the castle dungeon to the cell where Thor and Valkyrie were being held until King Laufey decided whether or not to help the Asgardians. He was still reeling from the revelation that the king was his true father, and that he had never truly been an Asgardian at all. He had been taken from Jotunheim during a war with Asgard, and was taken in and raised by Odin and Frigga. But even though he was biologically a frost giant, the Asgardians were still his people. Asgard was still his home. And he was still determined to fight to save it. 

“Any updates from the king?” Thor asked as he approached their cell.

“Not yet.” Loki replied.

“I still find it hard to believe that King Laufey is your true father.” Valkyrie remarked. “You don’t even look like a frost giant.”

“I guess Frigga used magic to change the color of my skin when I was a baby.” He explained. “I could probably change it back, but I don’t particularly fancy being blue.”

“I think you could pull it off.” She gave him a small smile. “But you would stick out too much in Asgard.”

“Well, the color of your skin doesn’t matter to me.” Thor told him. “You will always be my brother.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a frost giant soldier walking up to them.

“Fylkir Laufey vilja með ykkr tala.”  _ King Laufey wishes to speak with you.  _ The soldier told him.

“Ek eiga hversu með hann tala.”  _ I just spoke with him.  _ Loki pointed out.

“Hann eiga brýnn fregn fá.”  _ He has received urgent news.  _

Loki sighed and turned back to Thor and Valkyrie.

“I am afraid I must go and speak to the king again.” He told them. “I will be back later.”

He followed the soldier out of the dungeon and up to the throne room, where King Laufey was waiting for him. 

“I apologize for calling you back here so soon.” King Laufey told him. “But I have received a raven from the capital of the Four Kingdoms of Xandar.”

He immediately felt a sense of dread. If a raven had been sent all the way from Marvel to Jotunheim, whatever happened must have been big. And given the current state of affairs in the country, he assumed it wasn’t good. 

“What happened?” He asked.

“House Stark of the Iron Lands invaded Marvel with the support of the Wakandan army and defeated Queen Carol.” King Laufey explained. “King Tony and Queen Pepper are now the rulers of the Four Kingdoms of Xandar.”

Loki stood there for a moment, digesting what he had just heard. This was not as bad as he thought it would be, but it was still not great news.

“This could be problematic.” He remarked. “Obtaining true Asgardian independence would have been difficult to achieve against just the troops of House Fury, especially considering that our forces have been depleted by Hydra. I don’t know if we could beat both the armies of the Iron Lands and Wakanda.”

“It would be challenging, but not impossible, to defeat both armies alone.” King Laufey replied. “However, securing Asgardian independence would be much easier if you had an ally.”

“Asgard does not currently have any allies.” Loki pointed out.

“You will if I command my troops to join you.” 

“Is that an offer?” He questioned. “Have you made your decision?”

“I have.” He answered. “The frost giant army will ally with the Asgardians to defeat Hydra and secure their independence, on one condition.”

“Name it.”

“That you renounce your Asgardian titles and allegiances and agree to be my heir.” The king told him. “As you know, I have no other children. Therefore, you are the rightful heir to the throne of Jotunheim.”

Loki was stunned. He wasn’t sure what he expected the condition to be, but it certainly was not this.

“I will have to ask Thor. He is the King of Asgard, so ultimately, the terms of alliance must be made with him.” He replied. “However, if he approves of your terms, I will accept.”

He was hesitant to agree, but if he had to renounce his Asgardian nationality to save the kingdom, then he would do it. 

“Good.” King Laufey nodded. “I will give you and King Thor twenty four hours to consider my offer. At the end of that time, I will expect you to deliver your answer to me.”

“Of course.” 

Loki went back down to the dungeon, nervous about telling his older brother about the king’s offer. Even though he knew he had no other choice, he couldn’t help but feel like he would be betraying his family by agreeing.

“What did King Laufey have to say?” Thor asked as he approached the cell.

“He received a letter from Marvel.” Loki explained. “The Iron Landers have taken the Infinity Throne, with help from the Wakandans.”

“That certainly is an unexpected turn of events.” Thor remarked. “Did he have anything else to say?”

“He offered us an alliance with Jotunheim, both to defeat Hydra and secure independence for Asgard.”

“That is fantastic news.” 

“It is.” Valkyrie agreed. “But I have a feeling there is more to it.”

“Indeed.” Loki nodded. “He offered his alliance on one condition.”

“What is it?” Thor asked.

“That I give up my allegiance to Asgard and agree to be his heir.” 

“He cannot ask you to do that!” Thor exclaimed. “You are my brother. You are part of this family. He cannot possibly expect you to leave us.”

“But he has to do it.” Valkyrie pointed out. “This could be our only chance for an alliance, and we desperately need one. If forging that alliance means Loki must be the future King of Jotunheim, then we have no choice but to agree. We are in no position to negotiate and we clearly have nothing else he wants.”

Thor sighed.

“You are right, as always.” He told her. “I do not like it, but if those are the terms, then I will agree to them.”

“As will I.” Loki told him. “I will do what I must to protect my family, even if it means I can no longer be a part of it.”

“You will always be my family.” Thor replied. “I promise.”

*****

“I want to sit in it.” Pepper told Tony as he sat on the Infinity Throne. 

“It is my chair.” He pointed out. “I am the King.”

“Well, I am the Queen.” She argued. “I think I should get a turn in it.”

“How about we make a compromise?” Tony suggested, pulling her into his lap.

“I’ll settle for this.” She giggled, giving him a kiss. “For now.”

A week had passed since they had invaded Marvel and taken the Infinity Throne. Their transition from Lord and Lady of Malibu to King and Queen of the Four Kingdoms of Xandar had gone more smoothly than she had imagined it would. Most of the Small Council, except for Lord Coulson and Lady Bobbi Hunter of The Shield, had remained in Marvel instead of fleeing with Queen Carol. In their places, they had appointed Lord Rhodes as Hand to the King and Lord Strange as Master of Whispers. Bruce Banner of America, Edwin Jarvis of the Iron Lands, and Heimdall of Asgard had agreed to bend the knee to House Stark and remain on the council in their respective roles of Master of War, Master of Coin, and Master of Law. Grand Maester Daniel Whitehall had also offered to bend the knee and serve on their Small Council, but she and Tony had decided he seemed untrustworthy, and had appointed Maester Happy in his place. 

Pepper leaned in and kissed him again, but they were interrupted by footsteps approaching them. 

“Hey, lovebirds, you can make out later.” Lord Rhodes called teasingly. “You have a Small Council l meeting to attend.” 

Tony sighed with disappointment. Pepper got off his lap and dragged him off the throne.

“Come on.” She prodded. “Let’s go be the king and queen.”

The two of them walked to the solar where the Small Council meetings were held. This was their first meeting as king and queen, and neither of them were totally sure what to expect. She just hoped it would go well. They could not afford to seem incompetent. 

The members of the Small Council all stood when they entered the room, and did not sit back down until Tony was seated. Pepper sat down in the empty chair to his left. 

“Um, your grace, that chair is reserved for the Commander of the King’s Guard.” Lord Banner informed her awkwardly. 

“And where are they?” She questioned.

“The King’s Guard has not had a real commander since Queen Carol ascended the throne.” He replied. 

“Well, then we shall need to appoint one.” She noted. “And once we do, where am I to sit? This is the only empty seat.”

“It is not customary for the consort to attend Small Council meetings.” Lord Banner told her.

“Trust me, you will want her to be here.” Tony remarked with a smile. “She is the brains behind this operation.”

“With all due respect, your grace-,” Lord Banner started to argue, but Tony cut him off. 

“I am the king, and if I want the queen to be part of the Small Council, then she will be. End of discussion.” He told them. “Make sure there is a ninth chair at the table next time.”

“And could one of you arrange for the king and I to meet with the members of the King’s Guard?” Pepper requested. “I think it would be wise for us to meet them before we choose the new Commander.”

“Of course.” Lord Banner agreed.

The rest of the Small Council nodded nervously, except for Lord Rhodes, who just gave Pepper a smile. 

“So, what else is on the agenda for today?” Tony asked. 

“That is entirely up to you.” Lord Banner answered. “However, I think we should discuss plans to secure your throne. Queen Carol is not the type to just go quietly into the night, and although the forces she had here are severely depleted, she still has the troops of The Shield on her side. And although we have not heard news of Lord Rogers in a while, he is still out there, and likely still after the throne.”

“It is important to stay prepared.” Tony agreed. “However, it is equally important to wipe out Hydra. They have been wreaking havoc throughout the Four Kingdoms for weeks, destroying villages and killing countless innocent civilians. The sooner they are out of the picture, the safer everyone will be. And it would also offer a chance for the Four Kingdoms to reunite against a common enemy.”

“I agree.” Pepper chimed in. “I know firsthand how dangerous Hydra is, and how evil their members are. Defeating them should be our first priority.”

“I understand your personal history with Hydra, your grace.” Lord Banner replied. “But with all due respect, I think it would be a mistake to shift our focus to defeating them when there are already groups dedicated to doing just that.” 

“First of all, do not say ‘with all due respect’ when you have made it quite clear you have none for me.” She retorted. “Second, it does not matter to Hydra who sits on the Infinity Throne. They will always be a threat. And as long as they are still out there killing our people, wiping them out should be our first priority.”

“But what if someone challenges you for the throne?” Lord Banner questioned.

“We have a strong military and we are still allied with the Wakandans.” She pointed out. “We will keep our throne.”

“I agree with the king and queen.” Lord Heimdall declared. “We need to come up with a plan to defeat Hydra. They have caused too much pain and suffering already. We must prevent them from causing more.”

The rest of the meeting went more smoothly as the members of the Small Council realized they needed to take her seriously. When they left, Tony took her hand and gave her a look that was a mixture of pride and love. 

“What?” She asked.

“You are incredible.” He remarked. “There is absolutely no way I could do this without you.”

“Then it’s a good thing you’ll never have to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My workload this semester is about to get really crazy, and I'm not sure yet how that's going to affect how much time I have for writing. So I thought I'd warn you that my updates could get even slower than they already are. I apologize in advance if they do.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll have more soonish (hopefully). Thanks for reading! :)


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